2015 Edinburgh Fringe

Ali Brice answers 10 Edinburgh Fringe Questions

Ali Brice

Ali Brice answers our 10 questions, ahead of turning up at the Fringe to perform his show Eric Meat Has No Proof, Only Memories of Pasta.

1. Tell us about your career so far. Are you happy with where you're at?

I performed my first ever stand-up gig on 17th July 2009 at Up the Creek in Greenwich having completed a 6 week comedy course. I thought it was the best 5 minutes of comedy I would ever write. I have the video and watched it again recently. Horrible. Just horrible. My comedy course tutor told me to wear glasses to make myself 'stand out', so I bought some fashion glasses from a 'cool' shop in Kingston.

Six years later I've progressed from terrible puns and jokes about Tamagotchi's, through prop comedy and currently find myself doing character comedy. If you'd told me back in 2009 that I'd be doing my second hour of character comedy at the Fringe I wouldn't have believed you. It never occurred to me that character comedy is what I'd do. However, it feels completely natural to me and I love every second of it.

It wasn't a decision I made, rather my friends Adam Larter and Matthew Highton wrote a wonderfully silly play about Colonel Sanders of KFC fame and had a minor character called Eric Meat. Once the play was over, the name Eric Meat stuck with me. I asked if I could have the name, they said yes, and... I became a character comedian.

2. Describe your show in exactly 23 words.

Eric Meat Has No Proof, Only Memories of Pasta is a very silly show about a man trying to understand love through pasta.

3. Why are you putting yourself through this famously stressful experience?

I absolutely love it. It's my 6th year at the fringe and I wouldn't want to be anywhere else in August. I've got a lovely group of friends going up and it's wonderful see everyone's shows, hang out, talk about comedy, eat curry sauce and chips and generally have a great time. It's been my dream to do comedy from a very young age and in Edinburgh I get to live that dream. I feel very lucky that I keep finding the time to do it - even if I can't ever really afford it!

4. Any cunning plans to get more punters in?

I print 15,000 flyers. I think most people get 5,000 or maybe 10,000. I just aim to get rid of all of them and talk to as many people as I can. Also, I'm really proud and happy with my show - so hopefully the people that come will tell a friend to come. But my secret is to flyer, then flyer a little more and then flyer again. It's all about flyering.

5. How much money do you think you'll lose/make this year?

I usually break even. Although this year I plan to not drink all the money I make, so hopefully I'll be able to buy sandwich on the way home.

Ali Brice

6. What's your weirdest past Fringe experience?

I did some washing last year and everything turned blue. I couldn't work it out. Then I realised that I'd used dishwasher tablets instead of laundry tablets.

Not weird, but I need to publicly apologise to Beth Vyse for ruining her favourite shirt. Sorry Beth!

7. What other shows are you hoping to see?

Mark Stephenson, LetLuce, Joz Norris, Beth Vyse, Spencer Jones, Gareth Morinan, Marny Godden, Lou Sanders and I've heard that if you look in the right places Adam Larter will be doing some one-off shows in the first week. They should be wonderfully stupid.

8. If you took over programming a venue, what would you perfect line-up of comedians be?

Harry Hill, Vic & Bob - this covers my ultimate comedy heroes. I'd also have Tim & Eric - I find them both hilarious and fascinating. I can't quite work out where they get their ideas from. Up next there would be Kristen Schaal, I love what she does. Then I'd have Adam Larter - I wouldn't be doing comedy if it weren't for him and he is endlessly inventive and hilarious. Second to last I'd have Pete & Dud doing Derek and Clive and watch it with my Dad. It would be amazing.

To headline I'd have my brother, Graham Brice, doing a double act with my Grandma. They don't know it, but it would hilarious.

9. Name the one person you'd rather not bump into during the festival.

I'd rather not bump into Phil Collins. I'm a huge fan of his album No Jacket Required. I would love to see him live. However, I played him in my last show as an absolute weirdo and in this year's show he's there as an unflattering punchline. I'd hate him to think I was just taking the piss out of him.

Let's hope he doesn't like googling himself and find this. I love you, Big Phil.

10. Why should audiences pick your show over the 1,700+ other comedy offerings at this year's festival?

My show is really silly. It's just 50 minutes of stupid, joyous, innocent fun. At 1:30pm it's a great way to start the day happy. It's also a mystery, a kind of whodunit - and who doesn't like mystery. Also, it's really funny!

'Ali Brice presents: Eric Meat Has No Proof, Only Memories of Pasta' is at 1:30pm at Heroes @ The Hive on 6-30 August. Listing

Published: Tuesday 21st July 2015

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