Tom Ballard on the best and worst of Edinburgh

Australian political comic Tom Ballard is in Edinburgh with his new show Good Point Well Made at Monkey Barrel Comedy at 4.20pm daily. 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 Binge

I love nothing more than finding myself watching or participating in a Fringe show/event/happening that exists solely for the purpose of shits‘n’giggles. 

I’m talking: Olga Koch leading karaoke at the Monkey Barrel at midnight on a Wednesday, Mark Watson subjecting comedians to ridiculous ‘sporting; events in his Edinborolympics, or Jayde Adams and Kiri Prichard-McLean living out their West End dreams in Amusical.

On the final day of the Fringe last year, I found myself outside in the rain, under a tree in Lauriston Place, performing to an audience of nine people as part of Thom Tuck’s Tom: Foolery show, in which the line-up is made up entirely of comedians named Tom.

‘This is entirely pointless,’ I thought to myself, ‘but it’s quite lovely, very funny, and extremely Fringe.’

More of that, please.

Edinburgh Cringe

Two deeply cringey Fringe moments are burned into my memory:

 In 2009, I’d come over from Australia to see what the festival was all about. I was a baby comedian, who knew very little about comedy – and even less about the complications and sensitivities of British history. I managed to blag my way into doing a spot, during which I asked a man in the crowd where he was from. ‘Ireland,’ he said, to which I replied, ‘Oh, yeah – which one?’

 In 2019, Daniel Kitson very kindly comped me into his sold-out show at the Roundabout Theatre. Unfortunately, I had planned my drinking and urination schedule poorly, and halfway through I had no choice but to awkwardly stand up and leave the (in-the-round) space to make sure I didn’t piss my trousers. In my haste to get out, I knocked over someone’s beer and it spilled all over a poor woman’s back.

Throughout the ordeal, all I could think about was the torrent of withering Kitsonian barbs that were surely coming my way for the crime of interrupting The Big Man. Thankfully, he let me off very lightly.

Edinburgh Whinge

The worst thing about the Edinburgh Fringe is the way that it imposes brutal, capitalist logics onto the act of making art – something that’s supposed to be a fun, joyful, meaningful end in and of itself. 

Sometimes the frenzied culture of the Fringe becomes about obsessing over ticket sales, reviews and awards, and it can make you feel like your creative work is just a commodity to be marketed and sold in ‘competition’ with your fellow artists. It’s yuck.

I’m not sure if there’s much to be done about this, other than for performers to try to hang onto the reasons why we’re here and why we love doing our very silly jobs in this batshit, mixed-up world. 

Remember this is all supposed to be FUN, love doing your show, love other people’s shows – and even if you HATE someone else’s show, try to love and respect their attempt at doing something.

(This is all very well and good for me to say now, but chances are by Week Three I will have forgotten these sentiments entirely and will have once again gone completely mental. Wheeeee!)

Published: 5 Aug 2024