Could you first introduce yourself to the reader?
We’re a musical comedy double act called Shelf. Individually our names are Rachel (curly hair) and Ruby (glasses). We’ve been friends since we were 10, and one day we decided to monetise that friendship by doing queer, alternative comedy together.
How would you describe your show?
Hair is a very fun, energetic stand-up show / concept album about two completely different experiences of looking like handsome young boys. It’s all singing (Ruby sings), all dancing (Rachel dances), and really just quite a nice way to spend an hour- for you and for us!
Why do you want to perform at Edinburgh Festival Fringe?
Because all of our friends are doing it.
What differentiates it from other festivals?
You get a level of intensive performance experience here that isn’t really possible, sustainable, or safe anywhere else.
What first motivated you to enter the industry? Who were your inspirations?
Basically- we thought it would be fun. And it is! We made a pact early on that we would quit if we ever stopped having a good time doing this, and the fun has not stopped yet. We were inspired by other double acts (The Pin, Lazy Susan, Flight Of The Conchords, Midbrow) because being onstage with a good friend just seemed like a great way to do things.
How has your background, upbringing and education had an impact on your artistic career?
Both of our parents are penniless performers (Ruby’s parents are actors, Rachel’s are fringe theatre writer/performers), so doing what you love, even if you struggle financially, was always seen as a viable option. That said, it does mean there’s no money to fall back on. And it turns out you do need money to live.
What is your earliest childhood art memory?
Ruby - drawing mildly depressing cartoons
Rachel - drawing superheroes and sending them into kids’ magazines pretending to be younger than I was to get free stuff
If you didn’t have your current job, what would you probably be doing?
Rachel would be directing reality TV, Ruby would be roaming the woods somewhere.
Did Covid-19 change the way you create work? Do you approach shows with a different mentality now?
It completely changed the way that we perform. Taking a break from performing we got the opportunity to reflect more on what we were making and we found we actually no longer loved performing sketches. We started doing more songs and stand up style stories and found that now we were able to perform with mics, we were able to do a lot more gigs and perform on lineups we previously couldn’t have. Plus, since Covid began we have the comforting knowledge that everything can go really, really wrong at any moment, which is almost freeing.
Describe the last year in 5 words or less?
Politically awful, personally ok.
Do you subscribe to the idea that art should be exempt from ‘cancel culture’?
Why are you asking us this? What do you know?
No but seriously, we don’t subscribe to the idea that “cancel culture” exists.
If you could workwith anybody, from any point in history, who would you pick and why?
Aphra Behn. She was one of the first female English playwrights and seems like a right laugh. Also renaissance parties sound wild.
What advice would you give to someone who wants to take a show up to the fringe?
Lobby for change.
When and where can people see your show?
You can see us in Bunker 3 at the Pleasance Courtyard at 7.15pm, August 1st - 29th (but not the 17th). You can also come along to one of our many previews, or livestream it on NextUp if you can’t get to Edinburgh physically.
And where can people find, follow and like you online?
We are @shelfcomedy on all platforms! Turns out just @shelf was taken, by actual furniture.
See Shelf: Hair at the Pleasance during the Edinburgh Festival Fringe from 3-28 August. For more information and tickets visit www.edfringe.com or www.pleasance.co.uk
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