Could you first introduce yourself to the reader?
Hello reader. My name is Ian Smith - I’m a multi-award winning comedian and co-host of the Northern News podcast. I come from a small town up North that had a ribbon-cutting opening for a new vending machine and had three girls get stuck in basketball hoops within a three month period.
How would you describe your show?
My show is about stress - and why being told by the dentist that I grind my teeth due to stress led me to travel to Slovakia with my hairdresser to smash a car with some sledgehammers and then drive over it in a tank. It’s a tale as old as time.
What is your favourite part of your show?
I’m presenting these without any context - but it’s either the bit where I mime emptying a wine bottle while screaming, or the bit where I’m sat down in the audience.
If your show had a theme song, what would it be and why?
Welcome to Slovakia by Mgbility.
What is one thing you hope audiences will take away from your show?
The show doesn’t have a message crowbarred into it - so in an ideal world, I’d like them to take away that it made them laugh a lot. Or, they could try sneak out with some furniture or a pint glass from the venue.
If you could add a surprise celebrity cameo to your show, who would it be and why?
The Queen. Maximum surprise value - guaranteed buzz around the Fringe.
Why do you want to perform at Edinburgh Festival Fringe?
It’s rare that you get to perform an hour of comedy every day for a month to such comedy savvy crowds. It makes you improve as a comedian so quickly - but also, I enjoy drinking Irn Bru and eating sweet and justifying it by saying I’m far too busy for vegetables.
What differentiates it from other festivals?
Edinburgh feels like it was designed to be the perfect location for an arts festival - the city is on so many layers and every building seems to miraculously have about 45 different rooms which can all be transformed into different performance spaces. It feels intimate and contained, despite being across an entire city. It’s the biggest and the best.
What is one thing you would change about the Edinburgh Festival Fringe?
The expenses around performing here are becoming unsustainable to working class acts - sorry this isn’t a very funny answer. Accommodation costs and the various costs associated with bringing a show up are making it a festival where it’s easier to get attention the more money you have to put into it.
How has your background, upbringing and education had an impact on your artistic career?
I think I’m always very conscious of the costs associated with working in a self-employed, creative job - which can make it harder, but I’ve also been consistently encouraged by my family to work hard and believe in myself.
What is your favourite thing about performing for a live audience?
The times when you make an audience member spit out some of their drink or food.
What is the strangest thing that has ever happened to you while performing?
Someone gave me a bit of knitting after a gig once, but then my next gig went badly - I developed a paranoia that the knitting had some kind of bad luck within it and the next day I threw it in the bin. The Edinburgh Fringe can fry your mind a bit and I admit that this wasn’t my finest moment.
What's the most challenging or unconventional venue you've ever performed in, and how did it impact the overall experience?
I’ve performed in the round a few times and really loved it - it’s challenging because you’re always on your toes, trying to get across what you’re saying to everyone, even if they’re behind you. I found myself doing things with my limbs I hadn’t done before, and I think it forces you to be a more physical performer.
Is there a piece of feedback you've received from an audience member or critic after a performance that’s stuck with you?
A woman once heckled, “Your posture is so rigid” - which is such a specific bit of feedback, and not meant to be hurtful, just an observation. I became very aware of my posture from then on, and I’m pleased to say I consider myself one of the least rigid acts on the comedy circuit.
What is your favourite thing to do in Edinburgh when you're not performing? How do you relax and look after your mental health?
I’m a big fan of going for a swim and then sitting in a steam room. The conditions have to be perfect though - I’m not a great swimmer, so it has to be a pool where I can stand up if needs be, so I don’t drown. Drowning is famously not relaxing.
Is there a show you’re excited to see when you’re up there?
I’m excited to see John Kearns’ show - I saw an early work in progress and it was brilliant, so I can’t wait to see the finished thing. I’m also looking forward to seeing Jonny Pelham as he’s always so funny - and Tamsyn Kelly’s debut.
What is one piece of advice you’d give to someone thinking about taking a show up to Edinburgh?
Enjoy your day off! I think it’s easy to get so into the Fringe bubble, and it’s nice to have a day off comedy and work - explore the city, go to the beach, get on a train and head to a little coastal town. Basically, do anything other than performing or talking to people about shows. It makes you completely refreshed for the second half of the festival.
When and where can people see your show?
It’s on at 13:35 with Monkey Barrel - in the brilliant basement venue at The Tron.
And where can people find you online?
All my social media handles are /iansmithcomedy - and I’m on Instagram a lot and Twitter until it destroys itself. I’m ashamed to say I deleted my MySpace page last month.
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