2022 Edinburgh Fringe

Chelsea Birkby isn't so nice any more

Chelsea Birkby

Chelsea was lovely, sweet, adorable. But not anymore! Think sex and drugs and rock n roll* (*Nickelback). In No More Mr Nice Chelsea, Chelsea asks how we can accept the things about ourselves that aren't so 'nice': what is nice? Is nice even a good thing anyway? Don't we need to let our darker side out occasionally?

Tell us about your show, including how you came up with the title?

The show is about where we learn to be nice and when it's time to stop. As a "good girl" in recovery, I talk about all the things nice girls don't: money, sex, drugs. There's pop culture (we start in the 00s baby), philosophy (wow, she's smart too) and we end up with me trying to be openly hostile and embrace my dark side. Hence No More Mr Nice Chelsea! I started advertising it with the knife emoji but I think someone reported it, sorry.

What are you looking forward to most about coming back to the Fringe?

The thrill that comes from setting my out of office: 'BRB I'm off to make it as a comedian'.

Buying clothes from Armstrong's vintage and going to karaoke with some of my favourite people in the world.

Flyering someone for my show and them saying "no I don't think so" minutes before I go on stage. Truly.

What other shows - including any non comedy ones - are you most looking forward to seeing?

I have over 100 shows saved in my faves, it's hard to name just a few. This is officially the year of the debuts and so many talented newcomers I want to see (would anyone be up for a debutant ball mid-run?).

People I try and see every time: Joz Norris, Christopher Bliss, Will Rowland, Jess Fostekew.

Of course, my best comedy pals returning to the Fringe: Matt Hobs, Alex Farrow, Ed Patrick, Andrew White.

And some killer split bills: Alex Kitson & Julia Stenton, Charlie Bowers & Greg Winfield, Carla Gordon & Molly Leigh-Moy.

It's gonna be a bumper year!

Chelsea Birkby

What was the moment that you knew comedy was for you?

My friend Henry told me that as a kid in the summer holidays he'd spend all day playing football and on the walk home he was thinking about playing it the next day. I had no idea what that was like, for anything. Then we were driving home from my first fringe and I was thinking 'when am I next seeing/doing comedy?'.

What does there need to be more of in comedy/at the Fringe?

Is it salty to say THE APP?

What does there need to be less of/at the Fringe?

Namedropping. Michael McIntyre told me that.

What's the joke or quote that you live by?

"I am cringe but I am free." (I saw it in a meme that had a heavily distorted cow looking into water and the water said 'water' on it and I really like, got it).

Published: Thursday 28th July 2022

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