Hello!
Could you first introduce yourself to the reader?
My name is Alasdair Beckett-King. I'm 188cm tall and of a wizardly demeanour. I'm also an award-winning stand-up comedian, a mild vegan and a die-hard fan of the metric system.
How would you describe your show?
The Alasdair Beckett-King Mysteries is a comedy show about finding the magic in mundane reality. It's whimsical, anachronistic and wilfully obscure. But there are also lots and lots of jokes in it. We're talking double figures, easy.
Why do you want to perform at Edinburgh Festival Fringe?
Performing a solo show at the Fringe is something I've secretly wanted to do since I was a child. Now I'm actually doing it, I realise the 11-year-old me was an idiot.
What differentiates it from other festivals?
Where else can you watch comedy in sweltering subterranean vaults surrounded by urbane Germans in rain ponchos?
Do you think the Fringe has changed over the years? If so, how? Are these changes positive or negative?
I'm too new to know if Fringe stories are history or legend. I'm told that - in the good old days - aspiring comedians would hitch-hike to Edinburgh, climb naked onto a post-box, and immediately get a Radio 4 sitcom.
What first motivated you to enter the industry? Who were your inspirations?
It was mostly by accident. I was at Film School and I noticed that I was better at pitching films than I was at making them. I soon realised comedy was a much cheaper medium to be unsuccessful in than film, and that was that. I've always been hugely influenced by British comedians, but I hesitate to name them lest my extensive plagiarism be discovered.
If you didn't have your current job, what would you probably be doing?
I would run a murder mystery hotel.
If you could have any job in the world, what would it be?
Terry Gilliam, please.
What is your earliest childhood art memory?
I was Joseph in the primary school nativity play. My robe fell off revealing me in my pants. Everyone laughed.
Do you ever feel any pressure to be a social commentator, or constantly update material to respond to events?
At the moment, I find reality so confusing and frightening that I wanted to do a show that pointedly and deliberately ignores it. I love fantasy, folktale and magic because they help us imagine different, perhaps better, worlds. So that's why my show has no jokes about Donald Trump's hair.
Equally, do you think there has been a shift in public sentiment that has affected your work?
I'm too new at this game to answer that. Sorry!
Describe the last year in 5 words or less?
A ship of fools.
If you could work with anybody, from any point in history, who would you pick and why?
I often imagine conversations with William Blake (whose Proverbs of Hell are in my show). He's a crucial figure in the history of English gothic, and yet he lived and died in humble obscurity. I would like to meet him and let him know that hundreds of years later, he's still not that famous.
Why would a performer opt to do either a ticketed event or participate in the free fringe? What are the benefits and limitations of both?
I've performed on several late-night shows on the free fringe. The atmosphere can be incredible – chaotic and unpredictable. The downside of this is that free fringe audiences aren't always familiar with the rules and conventions of a comedy show. It can take ten minutes just to get them all facing the right direction. The great thing about ticketed venues is that they provide a little bit of theatre – a controlled environment which the performer is free to do whatever they want.
What advice would you give to someone who wants to take a show up to the fringe?
New comedians love dispensing wisdom. Don't listen to them (me).
When and where can people see your show?
My show is on at the Pleasance Courtyard – a room called 'This' – at 6pm. Every day from 2nd-28th August (apart from the 14th).
And where can people find, follow and like you online?
I'm @MisterABK on twitter. And you can join my mailing list at www.abeckettking.com. Currently it's just my mum on there, so please do.
Alasdair Beckett-King: The Alasdair Beckett-King Mysteries is performing at Pleasance Courtyard at 18:00 on 2nd – 28th (not 14th). For tickets and more information visit the Ed Fringe website.
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