Could you first introduce yourself to the reader?
J: Harry and I have been married for 44 years. We had met in a summer show three years earlier. I was singing. Harry was doing a comedy routine/instrumentalist. During rehearsal they asked him also to be my accompanist on the piano and the rest is history. I stayed in show business. Harry has had a more complicated career in medicine, business and show business.
How would you describe your show?
H: I live, today, in the world of Opera & Theatre as Chair of English National Opera & London Coliseum.
J: I live in the world of Ballet, Dance & Theatre. I Chair UK Young Dancer, All England Dance and a Board Director of Sir Matthew Bourne’s New Adventures. We will be discussing our various theatrical commitments and our journey to doing these interesting roles.
What is your favourite part of your show?
J: It is an interview show with Biggins, so who knows what will happen! However, expect some laughs, a few songs and, of course, a piano.
If your show had a theme song, what would it be and why?
J: ‘From this moment on’. This was the first song we ever sang together on stage literally days after we met. It was prophetic as our life together started ‘from that moment on’.
Are there any particular themes or messages you hope the audience takes away from your performance?
H: No particular theme other than the fact that we have approached family and our professional lives together. This may sound corny, but similar to another famous lyric ‘together wherever we go’. We hope the audience will enjoy some of our many memories. 44 years together has provided many anecdotes & experiences.
Why do you want to perform at Edinburgh Festival Fringe? What differentiates it from other festivals?
H&J: Edinburgh Fringe Festival is a world renowned festival. We have both performed here before and we love coming to Edinburgh whether we are performing or not. Harry has presented his show Dial Medicine for Murder several times at the Gilded Balloon, interviewed Jeffrey Archer, and Jacquie did a summer with a two-handed show with Dame Arlene Philips.
How has your experience at past Fringes influenced or changed your approach to this year's performance?
H&J: This year we are doing something much more personal and this is essentially an interview. Do not worry, we are prepared. Spontaneity is all about rehearsal.
What is your favourite thing to do in Edinburgh when you're not performing? How do you
relax and look after your mental health?
H&J: We both enjoy playing golf. There is no shortage of golf in East Lothian & Edinburgh.
What is one piece of advice you’d give to someone thinking about taking a show up to
Edinburgh?
H&J: It is a great experience. Go for it!
What is one thing you would change about the Edinburgh Festival Fringe?
H&J: Nothing! We love it, it is perfect.
How has your background, upbringing and education had an impact on your artistic career?
H: I was brought up in a very musical family. My father was in the ‘Singing Scott Brothers’, a close harmony group from Scotland who had national success and radio show in the 1950s which included performing in the Royal Variety Show.
J: My parents had no theatrical heritage. However, I was sent to a dancing school at the age of three which shaped my life. From there, I was a junior associate with the Royal Ballet School and then onto Arts Educational School.
Can you describe your creative process and how you develop your ideas into a full-fledged performance?
J: Harry has an idea, I have an idea and then we both argue about it a lot and then when he eventually agrees with me something is created!
What is your favourite thing about performing for a live audience?
H: Nothing beats a live audience. Any performer will tell you that. To use an old fashioned term there is nothing better than ‘The Roar of the Greasepaint - The Smell of the Crowd’.
What is the strangest thing that has ever happened to you while performing?
J: There is a funny anecdote to answer this question which will come into the show… which means you have to come to see it.
What's the most challenging or unconventional venue you've ever performed in, and how did it impact the overall experience?
J: An army barracks. They were not expecting a singer/dancer as they had booked a stripper. They could not understand why I was so focused on who was playing the piano and if there was a bass & drums. Suffice to say, it is the only show in my life which did not go on.
H: No.1 Criminal Court, Old Bailey. Probably one of the best experiences I have ever had. Performing Dial Medicine for Murder there this summer was the equivalent of playing the London Palladium.
Who are some of your artistic influences, and how have they shaped your work?
H&J: We have both had many influences, probably too numerous to mention.
J: Harry studies comedians & musicians in huge depth and could probably write his own book on comedy. Similarly, I have studied how great choreographers work in classical, contemporary and theatre. I have a lecture but not as yet a book.
Is there a piece of feedback you've received from an audience member or critic after a performance that’s stuck with you?
H&J: Of course we both enjoy praise, but you only ever remember negative comments. The truth is you cannot please all of the people all of the time.
Is there a show you’re excited to see when you’re up there?
H&J: We always go to a variety of shows and love discovering the ‘undiscovered’. Our daughter Emma Brunjes is the Producer of the Comedy Awards and always points us in the right direction.
When and where can people see your show?
J: We are being interviewed by Christopher Biggins at The Prestonfield on Friday 23rd August at 4:30pm.
H: Don’t forget, Jacquie will be performing with Wayne Sleep at The Pleasance from 19th-24th August.
And where can people find you online?
Tickets are available at https://www.citizenticket.com/events/the-fringe-at-prestonfield/the-doc-and-the-dancer-dr-harry-and-jacquie-brunjes-chat-with-biggins/
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