BBC to chart history of Late 'N' Live

Edinburgh Fringe institution Late ‘n’ Live is to be the subject of a BBC documentary, featuring a host of top comedians.

Jo Brand, Johnny Vegas, Ross Noble, Bill Bailey, Tim Minchin, Ed Byrne and Jimmy Carr are among the acts participating in Late ‘n’ Live’s Guide To Comedy.

Shooting on the six half-hour episodes – to be executive produced by Gilded Balllon supremo Karen Koren – begins next week. The series is scheduled to be broadcast in Scotland around August, to coincide with the Fringe.

As well as including interviews with comedians and archive footage, the filmmakers are appealing for audience members and hecklers to share their experiences.

First hosted in 1987 at the Gilded Balloon’s former home on Edinburgh’s Cowgate, the 1am to 5am show moved to Teviot Row House in 2002, only months before the original venue was destroyed by fire.

Described by Jo Brand as ‘Edinburgh's infamous English comic-baiting version of The Coliseum’, the night achieved notoriety for such incidents as Russell Brand pretending to carve open his arm with pint glasses hurled from the audience; Scott Capurro storming onstage to accuse Phil Nichol of homophobia for singing Only Gay Eskimo; Daniel Kitson and Stephen K Amos wrestling semi-naked and Johnny Vegas vomiting before crowd-surfing.

Vegas has said: ‘Late ‘n’ Live could break the best the Fest had to offer, but when work was done it was where any real comic went to play. It dared you to push it or die trying. It was dangerous, at times certifiably insane, I couldn’t have done what I did without that playground for the unwell.’

Reflecting upon the passing of its hedonistic heyday, Tim Vine said that in the mid-90s, ‘I used to think Late and Live was like a time machine. Onstage it seemed as if my watch had stopped. That five minute slot never seemed to end. Nowadays it’s all so much more genteel. They should call it Latte and Live.’

For Jimmy Carr however, his ‘happiest memory of the Gilded Balloon was sitting with Karen Koren backstage at the old Late ‘n’ Live show in Cowgate discussing how best we would burn the place down for the insurance money.’

• If you’ve been to Late ‘n’ Live, found yourself on stage or being heckled in the audience, or have a funny moment from the show to share, email katy@gildedballoon.co.uk   and leave a contact name and phone number.

Published: 2 Mar 2011