Pleasance at 30: Emerging Talent on the Fringe

Charlie Hartill: writer, performer, one-time president of the Cambridge Footlights, with an eight-year stint on the Fringe board of directors; died at the age of just 32 in 2004. With the untimely loss of such talent, shockwaves reverberated through the arts scene. Though from tragedy, comes promise. A boost for talented youngsters keen to eke out a place for themselves in Fringe history, The Charlie Hartill Special Reserve is now in its tenth year; a phoenix from the ashes of incomparable tragedy. Every year the memorial fund brings four aspiring comics to Edinburgh for a month long showcase at one of the Fringe’s most esteemed venues – the Pleasance.

This year, comedy arrives in the guise of Evelyn Mok, Phil Jerrod,  Brennan Reece and Chris Bets. We get a little taste of what’s in store by quizzing the lucky bunch about their material, and what bringing a show to Edinburgh means to them.

Describe your show in a nutshell?

Evelyn Mok: “I am one fourth of the Pleasance Theatre's Comedy Reserve, their showcase for new talent. It's been known that compilation shows can be full of surprises as you never know what you're going to get. It is like a box of chocolates; at least one of us will be liquored up.”

Phil Jerrod: “We are each doing 15 minutes of stand-up so I'll be doing my normal club set which involves shouting very loudly about how difficult it is to get a job. Oh and monkeys – I've got some stuff on monkeys this year. It's going to be great. The four of us all get to live together in a flat for the month. It's going to be like a mega long episode of Friends. I'm Chandler – I'm pretty sure I'm Chandler... I'm Ross aren’t I.”

Brennan Reece: “I like to do stories and that. I wouldn't say I'm the coolest guy in the gang. I'm not even in a gang. And that becomes pretty clear as soon as I open my gob. My stuff is about me. Trying to find my way in the world (and not being any good at it), trying to grow up (while still living at home), and trying to find love (even though I am sexually unemployed). To be honest, there's an awful lot of trying going on. I should try to put a stop to that.”

Chris Bets: “My material is mostly a runthrough of things that don't quite ring true to me. Things like words that are carelessly used without any knowledge of their meanings. A class system that defies logic. People's assumption that they're special and deserve better for no other reason than that they are themselves. My jokes don't really follow a through line other than they are the things that I actually spend my time thinking about and they are (I hope) funny”

What does coming to the Fringe mean to you?

EM: “In the case of being part of the Reserve, it is a great opportunity to experience the Fringe as part of an established institution. I am grateful as they take care of all the details (flyering etc) and provide us with the privilege of being able to focus on our comedy writing and performance during the Fringe, which is a rare opportunity. It is also one of the few times you get to see so many of the greats in the same place. And if you're lucky you might get spotted by a few people as well.”

PJ: “Well it's the greatest arts festival in the world; I've been following it for my whole life. I'm so excited to be a part of it I'm worried I'm going to make a fool of myself. I’ve been up in the past but only to do small one-off spots and competitions, so performing every day at the Pleasance Dome is going to be a steep learning curve. I'm hoping that by the end of August I'll have become a bullet-proof-comedy-ninja.”

BR: “Well the Fringe is pretty big isn't it. I came last year, and couldn't believe how massive it is, and to be part of it feels amazing. Creatively, I get to see unusual things which will hopefully inspire me to be better, like all that French mime stuff. Socially, I get to meet new people. Ones that won't judge me for having daft hair. And in terms of opportunities for the future, it is not a bad place to be seen is it?”

CB: “Last year was my first year and it put into perspective the scale of the comedy industry in the UK. Going to Edinburgh is a great chance to see acts that I otherwise can't afford to see or whose London run I missed, and get to experience what the scene's best have to offer. It's also a great chance to really get to know comics because in London with shows ending so late and the Tube closing so early, I normally only get to have a quick chat with comics about gigs and mutual friends before having to shoot off. At the Fringe it's like summer camp, I get to spend the day running around being silly with other comics. It's like an equally fun and stressful working vacation.”

How do you feel about performing at The Pleasance?

EM: “It very exciting! Each year I've admired and enjoyed their line-ups of comedy and theatre and it's incredibly fun to be part of a show there.”

BR: “I'm dead nervous. In a good way. The Pleasance has the best venues in Edinburgh, and the list of brilliant people that have performed there is endless. Well, not endless, but it is pretty long. Some of my comedy heroes have played there when they started out, (Frank Skinner, Russell Brand, Terry Alderton, Bo Burnham, Christine Hamilton) and to be included in that list scares the shit out of me. Again, in a good way.”

PJ: “It's a tremendous honour. It's right in the thick of the festival and one of the most well known venues. We are performing in the Jack Dome which looks properly lovely. So yeah, really excited. And scared. But mainly excited... and scared. But looking forward to it! General excited apprehension I suppose should be the main bullet point to take away from this section.”

CB: “It's an honour. It's got a fantastic reputation with acts as well as punters which is a surprisingly rare thing. A lot of the time it's one or the other but the Pleasance has an incredibly well curated line-up year in and year out of innovative and impressive acts so to be asked to be a part of it really means a lot.”

How has the Charlie Hartill fund helped you?

EM: “In the lead up to the Fringe, being part of the Reserve has allowed me to to focus on developing my act alongside performing as much as I can. I imagine that the Comedy Reserve is one of the few shows that offer this rare opportunity during the Fringe as well.”

BR: “I think the main thing it has helped with is my confidence. I really bloody love the British comedy circuit, like I really care for it. And being invited to do one of the best new act showcases, by one of the best venues, at the world's best comedy festival makes me feel a tiny little bit like I have been invited into the gang. So forget what I said before. I am in a gang. In a good way.”

PJ: “It's no exaggeration to say that I wouldn't be going to the Fringe at all without the fund. Or at least if I did I would have had to sell everything I own in order to raise the money, and probably have lost my wife as a result. She would have probably taken the dog with her – and the car – she'd have needed the car to take the dog. She probably would have moved back in with her mother. Then I'd have got all the angry phone calls in the middle of the night. The recrimination, the reprisals, the ongoing vandalism of my favourite sports jacket... Okay that might be a slight exaggeration. Sorry. I'm very excited... and scared...

I've made a fool of myself haven't I.”

CB: “Financially, it's allowed me to come to Edinburgh without the burden of a massive debt looming over the show which is a boon. Professionally, it's allowed me to showcase for agents and bookers that would otherwise be hard to reach. And personally, it's given me something concrete to show my parents to say 'See? I dropped out of university for a reason' and not sound sarcastic. Most importantly of all though, I think the rotating lineup (we each host, open, middle and close) will help me hone a lot of different skills over the month and help me to become a much better comic than I could have been without the opportunity.”