The Fringe has started (well it’s just about to officially start) and TNC has been lucky enough to pester and annoy another show coming to this years incredible Five Pound Fringe. Life of Si is going to be pretty sweet show with two pretty incredible guys and if their interview with us is anything to go by they are really give just to this years FPF.

We have put all the information for this show at the end of their interview and we can’t wait to see the guys up in Edinburgh!

How have things been going, you all done and dusted for the summer shows or are there still some creases to iron out?

So far so fun. As we write this, yesterday was our last London preview and we have two more in Edinburgh… And there is editing software open in another window as we frantically try to get everything finished in time! There’s still plenty of creases, but we’re hoping if we hang the show up for a month they might drop out, saving the chore of ironing.

What has made you want to do the Five Pound Fringe?

Last year was our first show on the fringe and we did it with the FPF, so this year it was an easy choice to go back. It just seemed like a great middle-ground between the costly uber-shows by big names we couldn’t hope to compete with and the hit & miss nature of the free fringe. We figured five pounds was the most we’d pay to see us. And we are notoriously spent-thrifty, (we also demand free badges).

Do you two guys work well together, what bad habits do you think drive eachother nuts?

Most of the time, yes. Living in the same flat means that bad habits stretch way beyond things which are professionally annoying and into the realms of “have you eaten my eggs?”, “please close the door when you’re on the toilet” and “that is an inappropriate place to leave your pants”. Edinburgh combines living together and working together every day for a month, so it’s a real test of character/patience. We will probably not speak for most of September.

Have there been any obstacles in producing this show?

All the usual challenges facing shows who don’t have producers/press/PR/directors I suppose. The amount of admin is extraordinary and just serves as a constant distraction from actually writing a show. And God knows we don’t need more distractions. Other obstacles include trying to edit videos on a computer woefully underpowered for such tasks, needing to rope in friends to hold the camera every time we shoot anything outside the flat and a general lack of anything resembling a “budget”…

What was the best feedback you got from your audience or the press?

We got some nice reviews last year and most peple seemed to enjoy the show. On occassion there would be the few folk who you could tell from the start had wandered in to the wrong show expecting a stand-up to call their mate Dave a bell-end. To combat this, this year we will be calling anyone called Dave a bell-end right at the start.

What was the Best and Worst shows you’ve played?

We had some lovely shows last year and recently at the Hollywood Fringe we had a few delightful shows. It’s never the biggest crowds that are the funnest shows, oddly. A couple of the previews we did last year were in venues or on nights that were just not suited to two silly-haired pricks messing about and showing videos, so they were “character building”…

What can people expect?

Two silly-haired pricks messing about and showing videos. Fun really. It doesn’t pretend to be anything else. No messages, no learning, no issues. Just larks, japes and other passe terms for fun times. Maybe a LOL, hopefully a ROFL. Ideally not a PMSL.

Any new tricks up your sleeves?

The woefully-underpowered computer has been pushed to its limits this year. We’re bringing a few new things to the show, exploring some cutting-edge technology. We’re like the Sega Megadrive of comedy.

Who has been an inspiration to you?

Every double-act we’ve ever watched on screen from Lee & Herring to Jake & Amir probably. Plus the ones we know in real-life like Mould & Arrowsmith, The Sunday Defensive or Tommy & The Weeks. And then all the other random stuff we like from rock music to skate videos to video games to kung fu movies to japanese porn to the internet to hot girls to… wait did we say japanese porn? Yep, just checking. Good.

What advice have you been given, and what advice would you give someone bringing a show to the Five Pound Fringe?

We can’t remember any advice we’ve been given, which speaks volumes I think. The only useful advice we have is pack several umbrellas. And a bag of fun.

One of the most exciting aspects that makes Edinburgh Fringe Festival the envy of the world is not just the level of shows they have, and the world class performers who come to the city, but also the variety of Fringe Shows that are on offer. This year Five Pound Fringe has raised the stakes and is, yet again, going to prove that they are an indelible part of Edinburgh’s Fringe Festival.

Put quite simply ALL tickets are £5, yep, a Fiver, not a penny more.

How we do justice to the Five Pound Fringe, is there a way? Well without biting the hand that feeds us one of the issue many people have had in the past has been the fact that some Fringe shows can be pretty pricy. And while some might be able to justify their £10-16 price tag, some really can’t. And though everyone is happy and has fun people can sometimes feel that they are not really able to see as many shows that they want to see.

So what has become a welcomed and long standing tradition at the Fringe has been the introduction of the Free Fringe and Laughing Horse Free Fringe shows as well as the £5 Pound Fringe – which is as simple as I can make it, all shows are a fiver!

DO NOT for one second think that because a show doesn’t have a price tag of £17 that it’s no good. Last year we where lucky to see some of the acts that are heading back to Edinburgh this year and, more importantly, are taking part in the Five Pound Fringe. TNC has the fortunate honour of getting the chance to interview the founder of the Five Pound Fringe Lisa Keddie up in Edinburgh.

Five Pound Fringe Previews 2010

One of the totally original and stand out shows last year was Joe Bone’s Bane. Words where difficult to find when I reviewed this show as what Joe created was simply breathtaking. There is no other show like it and no performer quite like Joe who’s energy, timing, ability, and humour will leave you on the edge of your seat. For those who love Noir and for those who have never given it a chance SEE this show, you will be talking about it for along time after!

WHEN: 05 Aug 2010 – 29 Aug 2010 17.40 – 18.40
WHERE: THE GRV
TICKETS: Buy Tickets from EdFringe

I will be seeing this show again.

Joe Bor did two shows last year, one on the Free Fringe and the other at Pleasance Dome both where very different and both had a level of professionalism that made every show he did perfect – his TaTu take and ‘Free Runner’ video’s for his Dome show, The Gadabouts, are simply inspired. Joe’s show this year is called ‘A Study of Embarrassment by A Guy With Two Bumholes.”

WHEN: 04 Aug 2010 – 30 Aug 2010 20.00 – 21.00
WHERE: LE MONDE BASEMENT
TICKETS: Buy Tickets from EdFringe

Being a Northerner and living in Brighton means I have not only a chip in my shoulder for when people bad mouth the North but also have a chip in my shoulder because am down in the south, I just don’t like it but that’s my baggage. So am really looking forward to this show by Charlie Talbot & Dave Gibson called “North-South Divide”. As there are going to be thousands of people from all over the world (as well as all over the UK) as show like this is really going to stick out, be informative, and lead to an argument or two by two very stubborn UK peoples, this is going to be ace!

WHEN: 05 Aug 2010 – 29 Aug 2010 12.40 – 13.40
WHERE: THE GRV
TICKETS: Buy tickets from EdFringe