One of the best things about Edinburgh Fringe is the incredible high level of student productions that help make the fringe THE best fringe festival in the world, and All The King’s Men a capella group from Kings Collage London. Their new show “Putting it all Together Again” is set to continue the 2010 success and sellout Fringe run, this is a student production not to be missed. AtKM’s Henry Southern took the time to answer some of Joshua’s questions.

For more information on their show can be found at the end of the interview and TNC will be reviewing their new show during the 2011 Fringe.

How are you feeling about your upcoming trip to the Edinburgh Fringe compared with your debut appearance last year?

We are really excited about the Fringe this year. The atmosphere is amazing, a cappella is so prominent, and it is such a thrill to perform to the discerning Edinburgh audiences! Last year it was a new experience for many of us, so we hope to learn from that and our new show ‘All the King’s Men – Putting It Together Again’ is set to be better than ever!

What has been your best gig so far?

We are fortunate enough to have so many highlights. Last year our BT Tower gig stood out, but this year has been insane… The IndigO2 arena, the Southbank, and all our gigs on our USA tour were amazing – the reaction to our performances and the hospitality and warmth there was incredible!

What song do you feel gets the best response?

It depends really… There are the tear-jerkers like Aerosmith’s ‘I Don’t Wanna Miss a Thing’ and our solo baritone version of ‘Yellow’ by Coldplay. Our more upbeat ones always go down a treat though. There is ‘Thriller’, our Black Eyed Peas Medley, Play that Funky Music mixed with Superstition, though the crowd’s favourite has to be our epic Spice Girls Medley! It really will ‘spice up your life’!

What song do you enjoy performing the most?

Again it depends… A specific audience and their reaction can really make the difference… We get such a buzz from performing. At the moment I would say our favourite arrangement is our America Tribute – we even have our very own American Woman.

Are there any songs in the works at the moment?

There are one or two, but you’ll have to see our show (Venue 53, 15-27 Aug at 15:10) to find out! There may even be an appearance from someone in a kilt…

Do the music students in the group get priority when it comes to the arrangement?

No not at all. I am the musical director so have done quite a few arrangements, but I would say about half of the group have contributed at least one arrangement. This is great as it gives us a very versatile and diverse sound. Amongst the group we have very broad musical tastes – from Schubert lieder to the Prodigy! – and I think those varied influences are partly what makes All the King’s Men different.

In what ways do you think you are different to your closest rivals ‘Out of the Blue’?

I would say that OOTB are friendly rivals, as we are with countless other a cappella groups. We all share a common love for a cappella music and respect each others achievements. We thoroughly enjoyed taking them in our “A cappella Off” last year. They were very gracious and supported and promoted our Fringe debut. We may be competing for audience members up at the Fringe, but I think this year – more than ever – people are more likely to go and see more than one a cappella performance as shows such as Glee, and the Sing Off in America have really promoted the genre.

OOTB and AtKM are similar in many ways (we are male and we sing!), but every group has their own ethos and trademarks which make them unique.

For AtKM, it just so happens that many of us have a background in musical theatre and that really helps when it comes to performing and being disciplined on stage. Our performance style has often been labeled as highly energetic and even eccentric at times, but at the end of day as much we do enjoy cracking out our outrageous moves, we are a singing group. First and foremost we want to achieve a high musical quality with everything that we sing and only once we are comfortable with the music do we start to play around with some funky and maddeningly complex choreography!

Would you ever consider going on Britain’s Got Talent or something similar as they did?

It is not something we have ever really considered. We really admire what they have done, and they have done an amazing job at promoting a cappella music, but AtKM are already so busy throughout the year to be able to commit to something like that. For example, this year we been on a tour to the East Coast of America, we have performed and received high acclaim in a cappella competitions, we are preparing for a lengthy run at the Fringe again, and not to mention the countless other public and private gigs/ functions we commit ourselves to. We like to run the group in a professional manner, but we have to find some time to study too!

Where do you see yourselves in the future? Will All the King’s Men finish when university does?

We started as a group of freshers just over 18 months ago now and things have really taken off since then. So far the turn over of the group has been minimal and we have become such close friends. We like to think that musically we have also developed into a great group, which has been proven by the awards and international recognition we have received. It is certainly something that I will feel proud of when I look back at my university career. As we have all built up this group it will be sad when we eventually leave, but as it is grown into something so special to all those involved it would be a shame for it to end and so we hope that All the King’s Men (whoever the members may be) will continue for many years to come.

Next year will be our first big recruiting year so we are very excited about what the future holds! We have a couple of entirely original projects lined up, which we hope will continue to grow the reputation of All the King’s Men and set new boundaries for British a cappella… But you’ll have to follow our progress to find out what they are.

By Joshua Feldman

Jamie Moakes is buying as many of the nostalgic yet overlooked action figure Ram-Man from He-Man and the Masters of the Universe as he can, for a mission to slay the economy.

Continuing TNC 2011 Fringe previews we are really excited to bring you our interview with one of the more unique shows at this years Edinburgh Fringe Festival. You can catch Jamie at Zoo Venues and all the information about his show is at the end of our interview.

How are things going, you all ready for the big one up in Edinburgh?

I am raring to go, can’t wait!

The show is just about there! It’s very much a collaboration with the show illustrators the Hidden Dingbat Collective, working with them on this has been fab. We’re still adding more drawings as the show continues to develop, its been great to collaborate – I’ve never really done it before but I think it’s paid off big time.

In a lot of ways the show has started already – I want my work to exist on and off stage all the time, and I’ve encourage people to take part in the project now; I’m especially proud of the ‘How to help’ illustrations by the Dingbats that feature on my website. I am also setting off for Edinburgh early because I’m cycling up from Colchester with another artist (Sam Epps). The cycle is a fundraiser but its also an important way for me to show people that I’m committed to the project and I believe in what I’m saying.

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

The show is basically (if I’m really honest) a bit of an interactive sales pitch; a call to arms to prove that we (as in everyone) matter in the economy. Expect me talking in front of illustrations trying to say what I think about the economy, which is a lot, mixed with what I know about the economy, which is not a lot (more now than when I started though), and a huge amount of nostalgia.

Do you think more people should be aware of, nee respect, Ram-Man?

Heck yeah! He is amazing. Check him out on You Tube; his voice was the best! But really I don’t think there’s a need to respect or to even know about Ram-Man, that’s what the show is for. I have to make people adore him as much as I do, although I don’t think that possible as he has become a huge part my life. I mean much to my girlfriends dismay all the Ram-Mans live at the end of our bed; don’t believe me? Check it out.

What made you use this forgotten 80s icon?

For me there’s something about the fact that no-one really likes him or remembers him. They always think He-Man or Skelator – collectors even have trouble with him. I’ve actually had two people approach me to me tell me he’s Man-At-Arms not Ram-Man. To me there’s something lovely in heralding something which is nostalgic but on the periphery. Its revering the the bullied character who people took the mickey out of and making him cult and loved. He stands for all the nerds in 80s movies, the bumbling sidekick, he stands for me. A not so heartfelt reason is that I found 4 in one day at a car boot sale, so fate played a part too.

How has the show been going down, is Ram-Man worth money?

This is something that is impossible to truly answer and I try to tackle it in the show by auctioning a figure from my collection off and the end of each show. This my personal show barometer to see if I have convinced people enough to get behind me and Rammy (Ram-Man) and believe he is worth money to show we matter in the economy.

Your site is very interactive, has that given you more material to use in your show?

Its a peoples project, this piece would not work if I was just sitting going on ebay buying a figure putting it in the cabinets and waiting. It’s about telling people and getting them on board – encouraging them to start their own collection and start to look for their own Rammy.

You Will Be Rare feeds off and lives on people and this naturally feeds into the show, there have had some great moments so far: someone getting very excited about finding one in Barcelona (so much so, he got charged over the odds for it), and one lucky Rammy is being sent around the world as part of a friend’s project to connect with people who have his surname – it’s called Tovey Tours. I hope more of these moments will happen and I’m encouraging people to share them with me as the show goes on.

How did you get into comedy?

I blame my Dad – he is a lorry driver by trade and he always loves telling stories of his exploits to anyone who would listen and actually people loved it. From listening to his delivery I crafted my idea of what a performer is. It just all went from there really, his stories slowly became mine; I like to think there’s not much difference betweens us really except I do it on a stage.

What was your first show like, were the audience gracious?

I have been very lucky so far with my audience; the first performance of You Will Be Rare sold out and I had a positive response when I asked who believed. I got a real buzz off it and from then on people have really got behind it and are continuing to help by telling people Ram-Man is worth money. I love interacting with the audience and discussing nostalgia, the economy, He-Man, whatever, because it all feeds into the show. During the show I mention the pub I am going to be in afterwards for this very reason; come, chat, tell me I’m wrong, tell me about your thoughts on the economy, let’s come up with more plans to change it….

This has happened every show so far, and again here is where I pick up more stories; again it’s very interactive.

What is it like bringing a show to the fringe?

Absolutely amazing! I’m feeling ecstatic to say the least. It’s always been a dream of mine to take a show up there and I have been as audience for the past couple years quietly planning where I would fit and how. It’s a huge challenge and an huge thing to be a part of; I’m very glad I have as much supports as I have, not only from fans of the project, but also Escalator East to Edinburgh and Arts Council England which means I can go up with a support crew. The East is lucky to have a scheme like Escalator- sadly there’s not another like it in the UK.

Who would you say has inspired your comedy/creativity?

Andy Kaufman, hands down! It wasn’t until discovering him that I realised you could turn mischief against the world into a career. I love the way he thinks about and approaches things; his work is a true inspiration. There’s an excellent story about him running down a street shouting “arrrghh a tiger’s escaped form the zoo! A tiger’s escaped from the zoo!” and the more he shouted, the more people joined him. They didn’t even need to see the tiger, they just went along with him until he got to the end of the road then stopped and carried on with his life.

What advice have you been given to you and what advice would you give someone thinking about heading to a festival like Fringe?

See, See, See! Take a risk on shows don’t play it safe, ever. And talk to people – the Fringe is amazingly friendly, no place like it. Talk to the person in front of you in the queue; queues are not just a place to wait, they are opportunities to meet people; you never know where it will lead in Edinburgh.

It’s that time again and TNC is set to make the 2011 Edinburgh Fringe Festival one of the biggest one yet and kicking off our Fringe previews is an interview with a comic GQ called of “the best comic of his generation” Richard Herring who’s new show “What Is Love Anyway”.