British Comedy Guide Newsletter
Live Newsletter - Edinburgh Special Wednesday 20th August 2014
This is our mailing list for those interested in live comedy. We'll be using this mailing list more regularly from October, but first here is a one-off Edinburgh Fringe special. You'll find news, reviews, features and blogs from the festival below. Whether or not you're in Scotland, we think you'll find lots of interest here.
Latest Edinburgh Fringe News
Feature Picture Foster's Edinburgh Comedy Award Nominees 2014

The shortlists for the prestigious Foster's Edinburgh Comedy Awards 2014 Best Show and Best Newcomer categories have been announced. Read
Feature Picture Top 10 jokes at the Edinburgh Fringe 2014

Tim Vine has won the award for the funniest joke at the 2014 Edinburgh Fringe festival. Read the top 10 gags here. Read
Feature Picture Holly Walsh wins at the Comedy Poster Awards

Holly Walsh's Edinburgh Fringe marketing has won at the first ever Comedy Poster Awards. Read
Feature Picture Malcolm Hardee Award nominees 2014

The nominees for the 2014 Malcolm Hardee Awards have been announced. The awards are set up to recognise comic originality at the Edinburgh Fringe. Read
Feature Picture Celia Pacquola wins Amused Moose Laughter Award 2014

Celia Pacquola has been named the winner of the Amused Moose Laughter Award 2014. Read. Meanwhile the Amused Moose Laugh Off 2014 winner was Tim Renkow.
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To see stand-up videos starring Edinburgh Fringe performers like Lucy Beaumont, Phil Wang, Iain Stirling, Carl Hutchinson and Ray Peacock head to WeAreLiveComedy.com
Listings
Feature Picture Fringe Listings, with over 3,500 reviews

We have more listings than even the official website. PLUS we've also collected up all the reviews and press articles each show has got - that's over 60 publications scanned. Click around to see how everyone is doing. Check out all Josie Long's stars for example. View
Features
Feature Picture Pre-Gig Notes: A Photo Gallery

A photo gallery providing an intimate insight into the show preparations of comedians performing at this year's festival. They reveal their pre-gig routines, and we take a look at their set lists and notes. Read
Feature Picture So You Think You're Funny?: Profiles of the 2014 finalists

Profiles of the nine new stand-up comedians taking part in the 2014 final of the Foster's So You Think You're Funny? competition on Thursday. Read
Feature Picture Tim Key's tale of Edinburgh Fringe ghosts

Watch Tim Key deliver a five minute tale about ghosts. It's a chilling story masterfully delivered from an empty Pleasance Courtyard. Watch
Feature Picture Interview with live scriber Peter Morey

An interview with Peter Morey, who in addition to hosting his own interactive 'doodling' show, is documenting several Edinburgh gigs by creating a unique real-time illustration for each performance. Read
Feature Picture Si Hawkins' Fringe Diary 2014, Part 2

Si Hawkins discusses the Edinburgh Fringe shows from acts including Tony Law, Alex Horne, Dane Baptiste, Richard Herring, Alexis Dubus and Clever Peter. Read
Feature Picture Romesh Ranganathan interview

Angry and candid onstage, affable and candid off it, ex-teacher Romesh Ranganathan really lets rip in his new Edinburgh show. Here we talk curriculums, closing schools and some handy comedy-writing advice. Read
Feature Picture Stuart Goldsmith interview

He's probably better known for his hugely popular podcast than his performing (for the moment) - so what's Stuart Goldsmith's own masterplan? Why does he turn down 'shiny floor' roles? Read
Feature Picture What's it like to get a one star review?

How does it feel to read a one star review of your show? We ask Alasdair Tremblay-Birchall, an act who has been on the end of a bad review this month. Read
Feature Picture Tom Craine interview

Tom Craine talks about the cultural panic that exists around being single nowadays, and the joy of co-writing the new TV sitcom Josh. Read
Feature Picture Video: Got a hangover? Comedians suggest cures

The final week of the Edinburgh Fringe tends to see an increase in alcohol consumption, as a party atmosphere takes over the festival. In this video, a bunch of comedians offer their suggested cures for that inevitable hangover. Watch
Feature Picture Video: The Fringe can be a difficult month for acts

As we enter the last week of the Edinburgh Fringe 2014, it's worth remembering it can be a difficult month for comedians. Last year Howard Cohen made this video which helps highlight some of the painful aspects of performing. Watch
Feature Picture One of the best Fringe shows features a useless star

Mr Swallow: The Musical is a triumph. But fans of real musicals should be aware that Mr Swallow, the central star, is very unprofessional and really isn't very good at being Dracula. Read
Feature Picture Si Hawkins' Fringe Diary 2014. Part One: Old Winners

Si Hawkins reports back on four shows from award-winners: Bridget Christie, David O'Doherty, Tim Key and Doctor Brown. Read
Feature Picture Almost Sean Brightman - How do you describe it?

Almost Sean Brightman is a fairly unique show, in that it tries to straddle all genres. Its creator explains more here. Read
Feature Picture Yoghurt pot flyers

Adam Broomfield-Strawn has created some unique flyers for his Edinburgh Fringe show. It involves yoghurt pots. Take a look. Read
Feature Picture Luke McQueen tricks an audience into watching him

Luke McQueen has pulled off an audacious stunt which saw him trick an audience into thinking they were about to watch Frankie Boyle. Not everyone was happy when he turned up instead, as he explains here. Read
Feature Picture The best audience selfies from Stuart Laws' show

At the end of each of his shows, Stuart Laws is taking a picture of himself with the audience. Here's four of the best snaps. Read
Feature Picture NewsRevue interview

Emma Taylor, the producer behind the long-running satirical sketch show NewsRevue, talks about how the show is made. Read
Feature Picture Bob Slayer talks about his Bookshop

We talk to Bob Slayer about his Edinburgh Fringe Bookshop venue. The Health and Safety inspectors might not be fans, but the Police seem happy to visit. Read
Feature Picture What's it like signing a stand-up show for the Deaf Community?

We chat to Catherine King, who provides sign language interpretation for the Deaf Community at stand-up gigs, including some shows at this year's Fringe. Read
Feature Picture Meet the No Strings musical puppets

We encountered a group of puppets on the streets of Edinburgh. Witness as they plan their improvised musical show. View
Feature Picture Sammy J travels 10,502 miles to perform for 1 hour

An interview with musical comedian Sammy J, who travelled from Australia to Scotland... to perform for just one hour. Read
Feature Picture It Might Get Ugly preview

A preview of It Might Get Ugly, a stand-up comedy format in which acts must ditch their usual material and be honest 'to the point of regret'. Read
Feature Picture Rhys James films sitcom to promote his Fringe show

Stand-up comedian Rhys James has published a five-part sitcom online to help promote his Edinburgh Fringe show. You can watch it here. Watch
Feature Picture Austentatious - Our 5 Favourite Shows

BCG asks Austentatious, the hit comic group who improvise a brand new Jane Austen work each time, to name their five favourite performances. Read
Feature Picture Abandoman interview

Freestyle hip-hop duo Abandoman are just about the most roof-raising, impossible-to-follow stand-up act you've ever seen. But are they caught between stools? Or other, more sinister furniture? Read
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The La Favorita Freestival is offering up a number of free shows as part of the Edinburgh Fringe festival. Find out more via their website: Freestival.co.uk
Blogs from Comedians
Feature Picture A blog from a flyerer

The flyerers in Edinburgh have had a wet month, so we thought we'd let one of them do a bit of extra marketing on the warm and dry internet. Read
Feature Picture Highlands Vs The Islands

The West Indian performers behind the show 'pomme is french for apple' explain how Scotland isn't so different from the Caribbean. Read
Feature Picture Tom Price: 6 ways to make people realise you're not nice

Tom Price is trying to accept he's not as nice as he looks. In this piece he offers six tips on how you can toughen up too. Read
Feature Picture Erich McElroy: The British Referendum

Erich McElroy talks about the development of his show, which has ended up being the only one that suggests people should vote 'no' in the Scottish Referendum. Read
Feature Picture Ria Lina: Performing with Kids in tow

Ria Lina discusses what it's like to perform at the festival whilst also trying to look after children. Turns out they're good at flyering. Read
Feature Picture Joey Page: Surreal Life

Joey Page explains how real life can sometimes be more surreal than anything he manages to dream up on stage. Read
Feature Picture Morgan & West: Magical GIFstery Tour

Magical comedy duo Morgan & West present a list of their favourite animated GIFs which involve some sorcery. Read
Feature Picture 2014: The Year Of Suffering

There's lots of shows about suffering at this year's Edinburgh Festival. Dave Chawner takes a look through the programme. Read
Feature Picture Tommy Rowson on publicity stunts

Tommy Rowson is giving away a free shot of 'Jameson' at every show in attempt to get people into his venue. Here he contemplates what the best publicity stunts of all time have been. Read
Feature Picture Is comedian Chris Martin getting tired of all the Coldplay references?

Chris Martin, the stand-up comedian, explains how many times people make Coldplay-related jokes in his presence. Read
Feature Picture 10 terrible student play must-haves

Dave Jackson, writer and director of a new comic play about an awful A Level theatre production, lists the must-haves of every terrible student show. Read
Feature Picture Lizzie Bates's guide to Fringe don'ts

Boom Jennies star Lizzie Bates has been coming to the Edinburgh Fringe now for long enough to know what to do - and not do. Read
Feature Picture Simon Feilder: The best and worst Edinburgh camping spots

Presenting his debut solo show this year, comedian Simon Fielder lists possible camping opportunities for anyone venturing to Edinburgh this August. Read
Feature Picture Jim Campbell channels Edinburgh's residential properties

Jim Campbell, in his sixth consecutive year performing at the Fringe, channels the thoughts of Edinburgh's poor, abused residential properties during the month. Read
Feature Picture Aunty Donna's tips for online comedy success

Australian sketch group Aunty Donna are making their Edinburgh debut this year after enjoying success on YouTube. Here they share the secrets on online comedy success. Read
Feature Picture Luke Toulson: My torrid 12-year affair with the Fringe

By the end of this August, stand-up comedian Luke Toulson will have spent an entire year at the Edinburgh Fringe, as he marks 12 years of performing at the annual festival. Read
Feature Picture Lazy Susan's Edinburgh survival guide

Comedy duo Lazy Susan share their hard-learned top 5 tips for surviving the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Read
Feature Picture Massive Dad's guide to naming your Fringe show

All-female sketch trio Massive Dad present a concise and must-read guide to ideal naming of a Fringe show. Read
Feature Picture Kate Smurthwaite: Can political comedy change the world?

Kate Smurthwaite talks about Question Time, and political comedy at the Fringe. Read
Feature Picture Hatty Ashdown: No one wants a flyer

Hatty Ashdown, who used to work in promotions, asks 'What is so bad about taking a flyer?' Read
Feature Picture Deborah Frances-White: How I found my biological family online

Deborah Frances-White talks about how she has built a comedy show around the topic of finding her birth mother via the internet. Read
Feature Picture Madame Magenta's Psychic Readings

In advance of the festival, Madame Magenta offered her unique psychic skills to Jim Davidson, Jimmy Carr and the Cambridge Footlights. Read
Feature Picture Robert White says 'Thank you for the music!'

Robert White wants to say a public thank you to his Yamaha PSR-E303 keyboard. Read
Feature Picture Maff Brown: Breaking the set in stone

Maff Brown explains why it has taken him a few years performing at the festival to work out where his strengths lie. Read
Feature Picture Ray Peacock: It's not how you start

Stand-up comic Ray Peacock discusses the myriad of ways to open a show at the Edinburgh Fringe. Read
Feature Picture Carly Smallman: Judge my jokes, not my looks

Carly Smallman reveals her experiences of receiving Twitter abuse about her appearance, rather than her comedy - and talks how it inspired her to create this Edinburgh show. Read
Feature Picture Lewis Schaffer: Success will not be an option

Lewis Schaffer explains why his Edinburgh Fringe show this year is unlikely to see him make a 'breakthrough' in terms of success. Read
Feature Picture Hayley Ellis: How to deal with other people on social networks

Hayley Ellis provides this handy, funny guide on how to deal with other people on social networking websites. Read
Feature Picture Katie Mulgrew: Why you shouldn't date a comedian

Katie Mulgrew explains why she couldn't think of anything worse than going out with a comedian. Read
Thanks For Reading
If you're at the festival, enjoy the last few days, and wishing you a safe hangover-free trip home.

If you're also subscribed to our main mailing list, we'll be back in your inbox next week with our normal news and TV newsletter. In the meantime, don't forget to check our website on Saturday to find out who wins the main awards.

The British Comedy Guide

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