Fringe diary #2

There are certain moments where you are so caught up in the Fringe madness, you forget what the real life feels like.

I took a half hour bus ride to finally get a hair cut and here in the south of Edinburgh, it's like the Fringe doesn't even exist.
But then you come back and have a wine and cheese night on a stage where Jason Byrne is just hanging out next to you. This has become my weird August reality. Your team becomes your family and it feels weird when someone has a day off.
You walk home in absolute daylight, wondering how the night went by so quickly. For me the some days only start at midnight, when I'm finished with work.

Edinburgh is transformed during August, there are always people everywhere, all the shops are open late, it is so different than other months.
At the same time, as much as I love Edinburgh and the Fringe, it also make me aware of how much I prefer films and that whole scene. I'm not a theatre person, I hate acting, I can actually fee how different I am from these drama students, performers and theatre obsessed people. I enjoy good comedians, a well written play and an entertaining show, but I think it ends there. Film is much more my scene, I would prefer watching weird films over watching weird Fringe shows any day. Why do I still do it, working at the Fringe? Because festival goers are fascinating and mostly lovely people and helping them pick great shows in this sea of possibilities is rewarding, especially when they come back and tell you got much they loved a certain show. And a month long festival is a one of a kind thing to be part of. That's why.

And again, the shows I watched recently:

1. Rhythmic Circus- Feet don't fail me now


2. Jason Byrne


3. Brazouka


4.The After Party with Alex Rossi and the Rhythmic Circus Band

5. Best of the Fest

Fringe Diary #1

Dear Fringe,
the weather gods certainly don't mean well this year. Loads of rain and silly dark clouds. Not fun.
Work is relaxed and good fun because my team is great (hooray). So far no customers have yelled at us (yet), no one puked in to our venue, no one had to be escorted out. Thumbs up!
My best food award so far definitely goes to the BBQ pork hot dog thing at the food truck in the Assembly George Square Garden. My go to drink is the cheapest beer with lime juice because I don't like spending over 4 quid on a tiny vodka+cranberry. No thank you.
I still haven't managed to get organized and bring lunch to work, which is why I enjoy sandwiches/soups from Cafe Musa and Cafe Espresso (I have to admit, they know me personally by now). Oh the perks of paid work, you can actually spend some money.

Here are the shows I have watched so far, in no real order.

1. Voca People//

I was freaked out by their costumes but they are endlessly talented and their song medleys will give you goosebumps. The part where they pick audience members to go on stage will give you goosebumps too, but the ones I don't like. Ugh.

2. The Pin//

So glad we picked this show, these guys are so sweet and funny and have a great idea for the show which is inspiringly innovative and hilarious.

3. Glenn Cosby//

He was part of the last season of the British Bake Off and in his shows, he actually makes cake for the audience. That's all I'm gonna say, because it should be enough to make anyone want to go.

3. Margaret Thatcher Queen of SoHo// 

 This might be my favorite the more I think about it.

"It’s a camp comic cabaret Christmas Extravaganza about Thatcher and the creation of Section 28. It’s got music, dancing, jokes, and a cameo from Ian McKellen in it. It also tells the story of Thatcher getting lost in Soho one night, mistaken for a man in drag, being on the receiving end of homophobia and accidentally becoming a cabaret sensation." I feel that this is easily one of the most typical Fringe shows: so fun, creative, smart and entertaining.

4. Foul Play. The f*cking nasty show// This was a show that starts quite late, so the performers are drunk and turn in to racists, justify it by pointing to the title of the show. Thank god each one is only one for about 8 minutes. I enjoyed one of the eight performers, the rest was just a big too much. If you are into nasty comedians, then this is your show!

5. 50 Shades! The Musical// I really enjoyed this, more so because I actually read the books- their parody is spot on and worth watching. 

How to: Edinburgh Fringe

With the Fringe coming up SO SOON, I feel like I need to share my knowledge a little bit. Last year, I was completely clueless about the whole thing. And not only was I sort of experiencing it as a visitor, I was also working in one of the venues as a box office assistant. I had a great time working there and it was also a great opportunity to take advantage of all these people who know so much about the Fringe or the theatre industry. While working there, I learned a lot about the Fringe, the tips and tricks when it comes to buying tickets and all that stuff.

So here is a little mini guide with those tips and tricks!

First off though- What's the deal with booking tickets?

The whole Fringe ticket thing is seriously confusing, but the simple overview is this: you can buy tickets online via the Fringe website or app, which charges you an extra fee. It is convenient though, because then you can pick up your tickets in the big four venues (Underbelly, Assembly, Pleasance and Gilded Balloon) or in the official box office. You can also buy tickets for pretty much all venues in the official Fringe box office on the Royal Mile, but that is obviously just crazy because everyone will do that. For the big four venues you can buy tickets at all of their box offices. So Pleasance will sell Underbelly tickets as well. My tip is to buy them online and pick them up at the venue or go to the venue and buy them there. And one last thing: Assembly is not Assembly Rooms.

photo credit: byronv2 via photopin cc

1. Get on Twitter.

I am not really a big Twitter person, but I do love it when it comes to real live events and that sort of thing. Follow Edinburgh newspapers, comedians you wanna see, certain venues or companies, look up the trending hashtags in your area, check the #edfringe hashtag. It will give you a feel for what is going on, maybe there is a famous person just hanging out around the corner from you, or someone is giving out free tickets somewhere on the Royal Mile or you can take part in a online sweepstake. It's all possible.

2. How to get cheap tickets.

It all depends when you will be at the festival. There are 2for1 deals for certain days at the beginning of the festival, which is obviously great to see a lot of shows for less. Then there are codes you have to mention at the box office (or online) to get a cheaper deal, and you can find these codes in certain newspapers, in sponsored or affiliated businesses, or online (see #1). 

Another point is the Virgin Half Price Hut. Those half price deals are on daily for certain shows that are on that day and it varies every day. You get them if you go to the Mound and stand in line. I have never done this before, but this is certainly an option if you want cheaper tickets. 

My personal tip is probably just making friends with box office people. If you are nice to them, they can really help you out a lot. Being angry and shouting at them does not help you at all.

3. Sold out does not always mean sold out.

Although tickets are actually non exchangeable and non refundable, there still might be a chance of you getting the very last ticket. The code word here is restricted view tickets or sometimes, there are just last minute tickets released that have been on hold for some reason. Check back with the box office of that venue (!) early on the day of the show and then they maybe again later and then before that show. You might just get lucky!

photo credit: The Queen's Hall via photopin cc

Just in general- keep hydrated (yes mami), be friendly and make friends, keep exploring what Edinburgh has to offer beside the main craziness of the Fringe, be prepared for weather craziness, go a bit out of your comfort zone and see a show you normally wouldn't see and just enjoy the magic of these 25 days!

Just to finish off, here are links to some other helpful guides on how to "Fringe".

• The Guardian Guide to Fringe
• Top Tips for the Fringe
• Official Ed Fringe Guide   

photo credit: byronv2 via photopin cc

WHAT UP, Edinburgh

It is SO SO WARM! It's crazy, let me tell you. So crazy that I had to purposely take a cold shower today. That usually never happens. We were even able to have dinner in the garden (that we just keep using, not even sure if we are "allowed"). Having the window open all day long.

Oh my, Edinburgh.

What is happening.

I really really hope that the weather will stay like this aaaall the way through August, all the way through the Fringe. Next week I will already be starting my new job and will work full time during the festival, just like last year.  Hopefully my team will be amazing, the shows will be fun and it will be all good times. I feel very lucky to be able to experience the festival for the whole time, given that a lot of the visitors are just there for like a weekend or maybe a whole week. Being there for 25 days is very cool and gives you a very different view of this madness that changes a whole city.

What I am (almost) even more so looking forward to is my summer holiday afterwards. Me and my looovely (and dearly missed) flatmates are heading out to Turkey for two weeks to get a proper tan (and swim and eat and have SO much fun). HOORAY!!!!

x

How to: Edinburgh Military Tattoo

The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo is an annual series of Military tattoos performed by British Armed Forces, Commonwealth and International military bands and display teams on the esplanade of Edinburgh Castle in the Scottish capital, Edinburgh.

Sounds a bit scary I guess, but it is really just a show with a lot of music and dance and fun! Edinburgh's castle esplanade is beautiful and the whole event is simply spectacular. Last year was the very first time I attended and even though I didn't plan on it, this year I am going again. With my parents and some friends (yay!)

It is really one of those things where you need to plan and book ahead, so here is my mini guide.

1. Buy your tickets in advance

This sounds like duuuh, but it is really important. It is just one of many festivals going on during August and it can get a bit crazy, but make sure you pick a date and book your tickets. You can do this online or on the phone, but they do charge you 5£ for doing so. Crazy, if you ask me. So I went to the office today (32 Market Street, Edinburgh EH1 1QB) and within 5 minutes it is done and you have your tickets in your hand. You can pick the seating yourself, the better the seats the more expensive obviously, but I just wanna say- we sat in the second cheapest seats last year (section 16, click here) and it was absolutely fine! We sat quite high up which gives you a cool overview of everything, so I definitely recommend those seats! You don't need to spend 200 pounds on a ticket!

2. Don't queue, just make sure you get to the venue before 9

Here is the deal. The road leading up to the castle is not the biggest and these several thousand people need to get in somehow. This is done by making them queue up for like ages and forever down the road. What we did is just turn up around 8.45 (show starting at 9) and we were able to slowly walk in and not really queue up at all. I mean, why would you want to stand in line? It's not like it gets you better seats!

3. Bring a blanket and warm clothes

Well, it is Scotland after all. Apparently there was not one show in the past 30 years that has been cancelled due to weather. Good sign, I guess! Nevertheless make sure you bring warm clothes and maybe even some snacks or drinks. You are quite high up on these stands and it can get reeeally cold.

I'll be alright.

an updates version of all the states I visited in the US

I really really don't know why I find it so hard at the moment to keep this blog going. I have sooo many pictures to show, so much to tell you. It's just all in my head and doesn't want to get on to this blog for some reason. 

I am back home now, in Germany. My summer plans are similar (if not almost the same) to last summer: Move back to Edinburgh, volunteer at the Edinburgh International Film Festival, then work again at my Fringe job. I am so so so ÜBER excited for the festivals, especially for the film one. The program is out now (click here) and there are great films coming to the festival as well as great people. Elijah Wood, for once- and then Simon Helberg, who plays Howard in the Big Bang Theory. How cool is that?

Other than that, I feel like getting rid of all my stuff. I had so much trouble coming back from the States- excess luggage wherever I went, seriously nice airport staff that didn't charge me for it, but also me leaving SO much stuff in hotel rooms because it just wouldn't fit. Denise called me a hoarder, but I just really don't like wasting stuff. Ugh.

So in a way I am looking forward to Edinburgh and re-moving back in to my room, but this time without unnecessary clutter and all of that. We will see how that goes.

 Okay summer 2014- here is to warm nights, beers in pubs, picnics in parks, making new friends, seeing old ones again, cooking in my own kitchen, gettin rid of stuff, not wearing socks, taking more pictures, watching more movies, discovering more of Edinburgh, mentally preparing for the last year in Scotland, planning da future.

3..2..1.. Fringe over and out.

3 more days and then the 2013 Fringe is already over! As always, it felt weirdly fast and slow at the same time. As a newbie to the whole Fringe thing I also feel like I didn't watch any shows at all, I should have done way more exploring and should have prepared more lunches instead of spending all that money  on sandwiches (haha). But oh well, next year is gonna be my year!!!! I definately enjoyed it and I think that's all that matters for now. SO here you go, a little Assembly Festival picture bomb-

A-ca-scuse me?

Ooooh, a cappella singing. I really don't know what it is I like so much about it- maybe the fact that you can see it coming together right in front of your eyes. You know there is nothing else going on, just them singing. No machines messing with their voices, no fakeness. It's all real.

I loved 'Pitch Perfect' so I knew I had to see some a cappella live action at the Fringe. 'Out of the Blue' was a show that I was able to see for free and I am so glad I went! Those boys actually got really far in 'Britain's Got Talent' and that is no surprise, they are reaaaally good!

So I googled a little bit and found a video of their audition-

And also my favorite bit from Pitch Perfect:

Military Tattoo {Edinburgh 2013}

Every tourist in Edinburgh knows about the Military Tattoo, I suppose. It's on 50% of the postcards (for christs sake) and so far more than 12 million people have seen it. It's on every night in August, sometimes even twice a night and in the last 63 years not a single performance has ever been cancelled. There are performances from various countries, so it's not just hours of pure bagpiping.

Julia and I bought tickets in July (it's selling out quite quickly) and went to see it two days ago.
I went in with not that many expectations and I ended up really liking it. I am not much into that whole war remembering thing or motorbike stunts, but other than that the performances were so impressive! A marching band from New Zealand played Gangnam Style, they projected pictures onto the castle (my favorite) and loads of bagpiping, which I really enjoy. Our tickets were among the cheapest (26£) and our seats were just fine. It is clearly a very touristy event but for that night it was alright. Julia took amazing pictures and I am just waiting so I can show them to you!

And this is my goose bumps moment from the finale- I reuploaded it from Instagram, so hopefully everyone can see it. Just a couple seconds of Scottish magic. 

Packing for New York

 

Ooooh, the idea of a place that is hot and sunny, a place where I don't have to work and serve customers... It's quite hard to imagine at the moment. Even harder to imagine that I will at this place in only two weeks! 

In a way the Fringe is what I imagined: The city is FULL of tourists and people in costumes, work is exhausting and stressful, the weather is good and bad and confusing, the days are just flying by... we are already halfway through the festival, what is even HAPPENING?

I am so so so excited for New York, I cannot believe I am actually going. That I am going to be back at the house, see the cat again, the kids (haha love the order I am mentioning them in), the city I love so much and do whatever we want. Oohh seems like a dream!

So I bought a new bikini, an Iphone charger for our road trip and an underwater case for it as well. 

Tanning oil and flipflops are a must, so excited to be able to wear them eeevery day.

 

 

Roller Derby {Auld Reekie Roller Girls}

I hope everyone has seen  'Whip It'? It's this amazing film directed by Drew Barrymore (and starring Ellen Page) about Roller Derby (read more about the sport here). And the best thing is (and I only realised this yesterday, as I rewatched the film) it takes place in Austin, Texas. How cool is that?!

Anyway, ever since I watched the film couple years back I thought this was such a fascinating sport. I kind of forgot about it but when I saw that there is a Roller Derby match here in Edinburgh during the Fringe, I had to go. There is a huge Roller Derby scene here in Edinburgh, who would have thought? I loved watching the game and even kind of understood the rules. In Europe they play on flat tracks, so not like in Whip It. It was really fun to watch though, so if you are in Edinburgh, go and see them on the 24h August!

Puppet up! {1 week Fringe- check}

Puppet Up! is actually not what you think. This is a show for adults, no kids allowed. So it's a puppet show for adults, produced by one of the Hensons', the creator of the Muppets!
The show is really fascinating, as you get to see the puppets on the screen like you would on TV but then you also see the people performing with the puppets. Switching between the two of them and watching how the puppets come alive is incredible!
It is improv, so every show is unique in a way. People shout out where they want the puppets to be, what they want them to do.. and they just go with it. There are insanely talented people on the stage, it's very fun to watch them mess up as well as come up with the funniest shit within a couple of seconds. I really wanna go again as I cannot imagine it getting any less fun the next time!

 In terms of my job- I really enjoy it and I am so happy about it! Going to work is not yet associated with any horrible feelings, wooho!I feel like I need to invest more of my free time in to watching shows, but the idea of sleeping in is more attractive most of the time. Oh well.

3 reviews in a flash {comedy & food tips}

Yesterday was my first day off (after only one day of working, which means I got two days off left for the next... 25 days- fun times). Anyway, after taking loads of time to do boring housewife stuff, Julia and I headed down to Old Town, check out the Royal Mile and the street performers.

We then tried to find a restaurant that wasn't occupied by loads of tourists, so we found the Spanish restaurant Iggs & Barioja. We went for the tapas bar and ordered several dishes to share as well as red wine with lemonade. Ooooh, it was amazing! The prices were absolutely fine and sharing everything was so much fun. The couple on the table next to us ordered literally everything and it all looked super good- they also have a unlimited food offer for 20pounds. We are definately gonna check that out!

We then headed to the City Cafe for some dessert (Honey and Hazelnut Parfait, yum yum) and a drink. It looks like a proper American diner, cute booths with red leather seats, breakfast all day and a proper menu full of burgers and even a burger challenge. Man vs Food anyone?

We then headed down to the basement of the City Cafe because Anil Desai's Fringe show was on. It was free but among the Fringe madness this show hasn't gotten a lot of hype yet, so there were only four other people there. And us. I have never really reviewed a comedy show, so all I can say is: it waas funny and he didn't make the audience feel awkward. Awkwardness is probably my biggest "fear", so to say. Silence and weird jokes within a small room just reminds me of a seriously dodgy comedy stand up show in a Manhattan basement. So this was nothing like it and we really enjoyed it- the best part was probably the impressions of famous movie stars. Hilarious and so spot on!
If someone is in town for the Fringe, definitely go and check him out, he deserves more than six people in the audience.

pictures from x, x, x

My job at the Fringe {update}

Okay, so my first 8 hour shift of my new job is done and I really like the job. It's not like in the call centre where you have to keep calling people the whole time. Because that's seriously all you have to do there. Here we can chat, get to see people and learn so much new stuff- who knew that Ireland doesn't do postcodes? I didn't.

Anyway, I am super happy with the people I work with and I am very excited to be around them for all of August. I have no clue about any of the British comedy or theatre people performing at the Fringe, so it's good to be with people who do have a clue. Or get inspired by people telling me that they are going to see over 100 shows in August. o m g
One show I really do wanna see is Drum Struck. They give everyone in the audience drums so it's not just people performing, but you actually get to take part in it. Man, I am sold.

pictures partly taken from Instagram: x,x,x

Countdown.. {Fringe 2013}

The Fringe is only one week away and .. I am getting nervous/excited- and what I forgot to mention on this blog is that I got a job, which means I am gonna be part of this freakin mess in August! Not on the performers side, thank God. I am just going to be selling tickets. But at 8h a day for 27 days (pretty much) straight, I am gonna be busy enough, I think.

What I am not looking forward to is all the people blocking the streets... getting somewhere on time is gonna be such a nightmare...