Edinburgh Fringe Interview: Eric Gudmunsen – Ryanair Lost My Baby (God Bless Them)

Eric Gudmunsen is a Scottish comedian currently residing in Dublin. His show is a unique blend of old-school and ultra-modern stand-up with a musical twist. He has worked extensively in Ireland and Lanzarote. This is the first time Eric has performed at the Fringe, although he did get exceedingly drunk here one night in 1978 on a school trip!

How are things going, you all ready for the Fringe?

Thanks for asking. Things are going swimmingly. Flights and accommodation are booked. I’m originally from Dundee so I don’t need any of the vaccinations normally required for visiting Scotland. The title of my show is “Ryanair Lost My Baby” and my main concern is that I’ll be travelling “Ryanair” from Dublin to perform and I can only bring 15kg of luggage with me! So it’ll be a swift visit to the charity shops for some “groovy clobber”. I draw the line at socks and underpants though; I’ll get them from Primark!

Have you been to the fringe before?

Nope. I’ve never performed at the fringe. I did go there on a school trip though, around 1978. I proceeded to get very drunk and my recollections are hazy at best. The main thing I remember from that trip is that the good people of Edinburgh are a shower of disgusting heathen bastards who drown their chips in runny brown sauce, instead of vinegar like the rest of the civilised world!

Best five words that describe your show?

Funny, varied, unpretentious, natural & free…..(or free, free, free, free & free!)

Tell us a bit about your show, what can we expect?

Jokes, jokes & more jokes! Jokes with punch lines, both new and recycled. I make no bones about the fact that if a guy in a bar told me a joke five years ago and it was funny then, well it’s still funny today. Political correctness is not my strong suit. My style can be described as being a bit rude, but never vulgar. I honest feel that a lot of young comedians today spend too much time being clever and not enough time being funny. My forte is taking tales and stringing them into routines complete with my own little twists and turns. Obviously flying will feature strongly in the material. There will also be a few of my own comedy songs in the show including of course my “Ryanair” comedy song. There’s also a song called “Open Mike” which is an anthem for the wannabe stand-up artist. Potential visitors to my show can check out my videos on you-tube.

How do you write your show, what inspires you?

Hmmm! I’d better be honest here. I’ve never put pen to paper! I’ve been doing stand-up for around ten years now. Most of this time was spent in Lanzarote where I played for 2 -3 hours nightly, 7 nights a week in my own bar and I swear that I’ve never done the same show twice. I get on stage, say “Good Evening”, and then all bets are off. I check out the audience for a couple of minutes to see what I can get away with, and then I go wherever the mood takes me. I have so much material that it’s easier for me to wing it. Obviously, at the Fringe, if a certain progression works, I’ll keep it till it stops working.

As far as inspiration goes, my main focus is the sound of laughter, belly laughter, not just titters and giggles. That is why I have no problem being referred to as “The Bastard Love-Child of Bernard Manning and Chubby Brown”. It’s not so much that my style is like theirs, it’s more that I like to maximise the “laughs per minute” aspect of things. I also like to fly off at tangents a la Billy Connolly.

What do you think makes the Free Fringe so worthwhile?

Errr….haven’t you heard? There’s a recession on. (Well in Ireland anyway.)
This show is a birthday present to me from my wife’s bank manager. When the world’s finance plummeted into free-fall, they took mine with them! If I couldn’t get a venue from Alex at the Free Fringe then it would be impossible for me to bring my show to Edinburgh. I’ve heard horror stories of how much money people have lost in the past and although I am a fantastic comedian, the world at large still has to find this out, so the chances of me breaking even with a ticketed show are slimmer than an anorexic Russell Brand!

Obviously the fact that my shows are free should make it easier to get bums on seats. I’ll be bringing CDs and DVDs to the shows and I’ll also be street-entertaining for promotional purposes, so hopefully I’ll cover my charity shop and soup kitchen bills by using my guitar and my golden voice. I’m used to singing for my supper, but we’re talking about breakfast, lunch and dinner too!

What would you want your audience to take from the show?

My dirty socks and underpants (please wash and return), my contact details, my undying love and my feeling of eternal optimism.

What advice would you give someone bringing a show to the fringe?

I would imagine that if you want to leave Edinburgh with a small fortune, you’d better bring a large fortune with you, and watch it grow rapidly smaller.

Seriously though, I’ve never been before, so any advice I can give hasn’t been tested yet. I think confidence will be my main asset. Also I firmly believe that if you don’t give a shite about success then it’s impossible to fail.

Expect nothing and you’ll never be disappointed!