Goodbye Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2021. Nick’s time with you is over. Or is it..?

Summary:

Nick Hennegan leaves Edinburgh. But why do thousands of artists keep returning year after year? http://www.BohemianBritain.com — Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/bohemianbritain/message

Transcription

“The Edinburgh Fringe is stupid. It’s too tough. It’s too brutal and bloody ridiculously expensive and in spite of occasional successes I’m never doing Edinburgh again.” So said one Edinburgh Fringe veteran to me in 2013. I won’t name him here. But then he said the same to me the next year. And the year after. And the year after that…! You get the idea.

“Ignore him,” says his wife. “He’ll be back. He always comes back. Edinburgh is like a drug.”

And as the train pulls slowly out of Waverley Station, I feel an unfathomable sorrow. Maybe it’s because there’s still some of the Fringe left to go and I’m suffering FOMO. (Fear of Missing Out!) which I often do, but it’s not just that. It’s not even been the sort of Edinburgh festival fringe I’m used to. Last time I was here I had two productions of my own and there were nearly 4,000 shows. This time it’s around 180!

So in spite of travelling light to the 2021 Fringe Light, with only two bags, at the end of my stay at Fringe ‘21, I walk very heavily out of my not very cheap budget hotel, past the Waverley Pub, over the Royal Mile, past The End Of The World (pub) past the baked potato place toward the train at Waverley Station on the way to Kings Cross. For the first time in years, I’ve not had a show (or two or three!) to worry about. None of the usual stresses. And there’s actually a seat reserved for me on the train! Normally on the last day of the festival there’s a lethal lack of space on all the trains, oversold by the grasping gits who run the services! Just saying…!

Now I HAVE been rushing round like a mad thing for a week and talking to people and doing radio shows and podcasts and I DO feel a bit knackered. But I mainly feel sad to be leaving. So why? What is it? Is it the people? Well, actually, in once sense, yes it is. Because after the years here, I now know people, lovely artists, who I only see – and very much look forward to seeing – in Edinburgh in August. Mmm! So maybe my fringe legends’ wife was right.

It’s taken me a while to try and work it out and I think it almost is a kind of drug. Edinburgh is the biggest open arts festival in the world. So there is nothing else like it in the world. The fear, failing finances and fatigue that we experience here is unique in the world. As are the friends, fortitude and fame that might (rarely) result from being here too.

Yes. I think that’s it. The human experiences at the Festival are unique in the world. Different to a West End opening. Different to a new tour first night. So. One way or another, I shall be back with at least one production next year. Along with my Fringe Legend Friend who, as I was leaving this time, said, “No. I don’t think so. Not next year. It’s too tough.”

We’ll BOTH see you there.

Goodbye UB40’s Brian Travers. A true Bohemian. RIP. What? The Rolling Stones drummer? AND a popular DJ?

Brian Travers, one of the founders of UB40, in the Hare and Hounds, Kings Heath, Birmingham. PHOTO: Robin Valk.

Summary:

Nick Hennegan gets morbid down the pub.

So sad. RIP #UB40 talent and decent, lovely Brummy bloke, Brian Travers. We would occasionally meet up at the Hare and Hounds pub in Kings Heath and spoke about a musical idea a while ago. Not to be now. But Brian and the band were true to the Bohemian spirit with their record label, DEP.

Then Rolling Stones drummer, Charlie Watts. Then a DJ I used to work with at BRMB Radio in Birmingham. And since I recorded this little ramble, I heard that an actor I knew when she was 18, who went on to become a successful agent, has also passed away! All under 60! What a week!

“Though lovers be lost love shall not;

And death shall have no dominion.”

Dylan Thomas.

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Pip Utton is Francis Bacon… and Adolf Hitler… and Winston Churchill… Hennegan’s EdFringe ’21. Day 5..

Summary

As you’ll know if you’ve read Nick’s Edinburgh Festival blog on www.BohemianBritain.com – it took him a while, but thanks to the Pleasance Press People, Nick Hennegan finally got to see ‘Bacon’ with the actor – and jeweller – Pip Utton! Known for his one-man shows, Nick and Pip talk about his life, career and what he thinks about Adolf Hitler! From Nick’s blog and Resonance FM show.

Pip Utton as Francis Bacon

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A Writer, an Actor, a P.R. and a New York Stand-up walk into an Edinburgh Festival bar… Day 4 EdFest ’21

Summary

The Edinburgh Festival Fringe is back, but much smaller after the ravages of Covid. What do the participants think about this year? What about the future? Nick Hennegan talks to actor Tim Marriott, New York stand-up Jack Dennis, Assembly PR Hannah Bradley Croall and Assembly Marketer, Daniel Saunders in the Assembly Festival Gardens, for Resonance FM and Bohemian Britain.com — Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/bohemianbritain/message

Us, in the Assembly Gardens. Alex (Standup Jack Dennis) had to stand up and run off to do his show at Bannerman’s, 55 Niddry Street – 4pm ever day except Saturday. Admission is free. Tell him Nick sent you!

Tim Marriott – Shell Shock and Sherlock Holmes – Live from EdFest ’21!

Summary

LIVE FROM THE Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Nick Hennegan talks to actor Tim Marriott (TV’s Brittas Empire) about his compelling, contemporary drama, Shell Shock – written with veteran Neil Watkin; his new Sherlock Holmes flavoured premier Watson and his company, Smokescreen Productions.  — Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/londonliterarypubs/message

Edinburgh Festival ‘21 Part 3.

Summary

Nick’s still here. In the Pleasance Courtyard. Shell Shocked is on at the Assembly Roxy. — Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/londonliterarypubs/message

Masterson’s Magnificent Milk Wood! Ed Fest ‘21 – Day Four.

Under Milk Wood by Dylan Thomas. Assembly Gardens.

Full disclosure – I now consider Guy Masterson a friend and indeed I adapted the book and directed him in Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. (Yes, it IS touring this Christmas, thank you for asking! Schedule to follow soon!) But I first met Guy when he performed this piece at R.A.D.A. in London as part of the Dylan Thomas Centenary festival. Arranged by another Welsh-rooted performer and producer, Griff Rhys Jones, I was involved due to the London Literary Pub Crawl, so although this version is not new to me, it was once!

Guy Masterson

Dylan Thomas’ play for voices is about a day in the life of the fictional Welsh town of Llareggub (spell or say it backwards!) and its fractious, fantastic, fatalistic, funny and sometimes freaky inhabitants. Many think it’s based on New Quay, others Larne, both places Dylan lived in Wales, but the characters are universal. They moan and mourn and love and lust, and occasionally and hilariouly plan murder – and Guy Masterson performs them all perfectly. Using clever sound, shadows and physicality, we’re transported back to the crazy, lovely town. It’s a big ask to present UMW as a one-person show, but Masterson is the master of the genre. Occasionally Thomas’ text and language is so rich and heavy it can fall out of the ear and concentration is required, but as with all great performances, it is obvious that Guy Masterson really knows, and really likes these characters – and we feel his warmth for them. This was the ‘semi-skimed’ version – cut down in duration for the Edinburgh Fringe, but even when a young man squealed with delight and ran on to the stage to hug the performer, not once, but twice, Masterson simply smiled, returned the hug, pointed him back to his seat and took us straight back to Llareggub, without missing a beat.

There’s a reason Guy Materson has been performing Under Milk Wood for so long. He does it briliantly. Well done to Assembly Festival for bringing it back this strange festival year. Go and experience the original Coronation Street. See the Master Masterson and, as Dylan Thomas puts it, begin at the beginning…

Rating – Francis Bacon – woo-hoo Soho!

🍷🍷🍷🍷🍷 out of 5.

Whatever happened to these three wannabes..? The Waverley Pub. Ed Fringe ‘21, Day 4.

The Waverley would definitely count as a Pretty Bohemian Pub Of The Day and will probably feature as such on the London Literary Pubs Instagram later. (When did I become such a media whore? I actually used to have over 10k followers on Twitter – I started even earlier than Donald Trump, I think. But then my account was hacked. I now have…ooo… at least 20 followers!)

But it’s a great pub, with friendly staff and, important for us media whores… sorry… bohemian creators… it has good, free Wi-fi. If you’re in Edinburgh for long, you’ll know that’s a definite asset. It might be the hills!

The Waverley usually has a few fringe events too. And I wonder what happened to these three?

Day 4. Edinburgh’21. Early. The truth about my film career after yesterday with Star Wars. And (Francis) Bacon is cooking!

After my brush with the Paparazzi yesterday, or rather my Fringe Umbrella’s brush (see my last post), I thought I should come clean to you. Because, you see, I HAVE been in a film. Yep, I was in a film, a full on mooovie. A Feature film. With Anthony Daniels – 3CPO from Star Wars. And, in fact, another few TV shows. Although none as big as the moooovie! With other stars, Neil Morrissey and Michael Elphick. It was filmed in Birmingham and in fact ‘Elph’ ( as we affectionally called Michael Elphick), used his pub in Henry-in-Arden, Warks, as a production base. We had some wild wrap nights! And now I’ve mentioned it here, you’ll obviously know I’m talking about the classic film by Dirk Productions – the people working on the ITV series Boom – The classic ‘I Bought A Vampire Motorcycle.’

I was here!

Yep. That was me. Even though most of my role as Pete ended up on the cutting room floor, I gave some great dying as I was killed in the gym scene in the final film. as you’ll obviously know.

And thanks for appreciating my talent.

Neil also had his girlfriend and dog in the film. But they weren’t as good as me. Well, at least the dog wasn’t. I think.

In the death scene, the Vampire Motorcycle was actually a cameraman sitting in a wheelchair, being pushed around by the second AD. We were supposed to show fear! And as you’ll know. of course, my performance was sublime. Even though, as we were filming in the autumn, I really felt like asking the cameraman in the wheelchair if he wanted a blanket.

I wondered it the people on the Edinburgh Royal Mile had seen it too. Who knows..!

Even more exciting, in spite, or maybe because, of my failed efforts to get a ticket to see Pip in Francis Bacon, the Pleasance press office have said they may be able to help me. Watch this space! The bacon could be sizzling!