Browse > Home / Interviews / Luke Toulson On … How the Fringe Messes With Your Mind

Luke Toulson On … How the Fringe Messes With Your Mind

August 30, 2009

Luke ToulsonMy first day in Edinburgh this year, I was walking along the pavement and the wing mirror of a passing bus brushed through my hair. Even though I was less than an inch away from death, my first thought was, “That would have been great publicity for my show. I would definitely have sold out.”

People will go to any length to sell their show. The Fringe brochure is full of shows with descriptions along the lines of, “I murdered seven members of my family. Join me for an hour of bloody funny jokes.” Then when they only get three-star reviews, they think: “Was it worth it? Gonna miss those get-togethers.”

But the audience is complicit, always wanting the newest, most exciting, experience. You sit in any venue bar and you will hear someone boast to a friend: “Last night, I saw the most amazing show! You wait for the performers down a darkened alley, then they jump you, put a bag over your head, bundle you into a van, and then violate you for 55 minutes…. Then they demand that you transfer £10,000 into their bank account… I mean the Fringe has got expensive, but where else could you get that sort of experi - Come to think of it, it wasn’t actually listed in the Fringe Brochure! Just goes to show how experimental they… I need to go to the police station, don’t I? Oh no, I can’t. It’s been turned into a venue! Anyway, word of warning, the van does get very hot…. And it could do with being five minutes shorter… I mean, after you’ve been buggered for 50 minutes, you do start to look at your watch.”

Luke Toulson’s Too Many Last Cigarettes is at the Pleasance Courtyard, 5-31 August at 9.45pm.

Written by admin · Filed Under Interviews 

Comments

2 Responses to “Luke Toulson On … How the Fringe Messes With Your Mind”

  1. Jennifer Rowland on September 9th, 2009 7:22 pm

    This is really funny! And, I’m afraid… so true.

  2. Susan Wiegand on September 10th, 2009 8:39 pm

    Oh, god. I am oh so glad not to have gone to the Fringe, but OH SO happy you all go to send back hilarious reports. Thanks Luke Toulson, and thanks Jennifer for pointing me to this. Hilarious!!! I too love the theater/art except when I hate it.

    Keep up the good work.

    smooches.

Got something to say?