Richard Vranch's Edinburgh Fringe binge, cringe and whinge...

Richard Vranch – who first performed at the Edinburgh Fringe in 1979 with the Cambridge Mummers – is back at the festival to perform in Paul Merton’s Impro Chums. Here he shares what he can't get enough of at the festival, his most embarrassing Edinburgh experience and the worst thing about the Fringe. Apart from the cost of accommodation, obviously…

Edinburgh Cringe

Mnemonists create a virtual mind palace to visualise what they've committed to memory. Edinburgh is my mind palace but it's real. I cringe every time I pass a venue where I struggled to get audiences. The doorways to flats once shared with lost loves. The time I had to lie naked in the flat so the landlord wouldn't notice we'd removed furniture to use as our set.

Edinburgh Binge

I used to binge on Tasty Tatties but now it's charity shops. Edinburgh is the world capital of charity shops, and they're full of quality stuff. They've kept me in black tuxedo jackets since 1979. I set aside a day to visit as many as I can. See you in Cats Protection (the Meadows one.)

Edinburgh Whinge

1. On the Meadows in 1999 the Solar Eclipse was rubbish. One star.

2. It's the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Be very suspicious of anyone who thinks they're at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. That's just a local scam where the price of haircuts is marked up during August.

3. Wearing a lanyard makes you look like a twat.

4. It isn't a comedy festival. There's so much else. Like charity shops.

• Richard Vranch is performing in Paul Merton’s Impro Chums at Pleasance Grand at 3.30pm from August 10 to 20.

Published: 9 Aug 2023