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Eight Steps Q&A: Just These Please

By | Published on Monday 19 August 2019

Comedy group Just These Please offer some tips on how to get the most from the Edinburgh Festival, in eight steps…

1: Beyond posters and reviews, how do you suggest people pick shows to see at this year’s Fringe?
Talk to literally anyone: people in queues, people in bars, people in bins (there’s a lot of weirdos in Edinburgh during August) and ask for their recommendation. Word of mouth makes the Festival. Just check why they saw the show first, cause there’s always a good chance that they’re the performer’s mum.

2: What tips have you got for people trying to see as many shows as possible in one day – how can you power through?
As people who don’t particularly excel at Excel, we’d opt for allowing room for spontaneity. Let yourself be flyered by people and be surprised by taking a chance on something you’ve never heard of. Especially if it’s sketch comedy at 12.15pm.

3: When people are reaching peak Fringe, what tips do you have for chilling out during the Festival?
There is no need to chill out in Edinburgh: it will be cold. Whilst it’s brrrrr-illiant to have so many amazing performances readily available, Edinburgh is also a beautiful city. Have a wander around, go to the museum and climb Arthur’s Seat.

4: What things do you think should be on every Fringe-goers Edinburgh Festival bucket list?
In our opinion, no Fringe is complete without seeing NewsRevue, Abandoman and Lucy Porter.

5: Beyond the flyer, what tips have you got for performers trying to get people into their shows?
We’ve really found that the best way of getting people in, building an audience and spreading the word is by having prolonged chats with people. The half-hearted palmed-off flyer is no match for a genuine chat in the beer garden.

6: The Fringe can be great for finding a new audience. What tips would you have for staying connected with that new audience beyond Edinburgh?
After our show, two of our very sweaty cast run out to thank the audience as they leave. We’re really interested in what drew them to the show and what they thought of it, so it’s great chatting to them. Of course, we’re also on all the social media and that allows us to stay in touch after the Fringe. Until the next year we just keep making work, if the audience enjoyed the show and we had a nice chat, then hopefully they want to keep up to date with our new stuff.

7: Performing at the Fringe is partly about building a network. What tips have you got for people looking to make connections in the industry?
See other people’s shows and be kind – everyone’s tired! The more supportive you are, the more knowledgeable you become about what’s on and who’s who. Edinburgh is also very much the place for approaching people and asking them questions. You’ll either be greeted with someone willing to share their experience or someone who’s literally just off stage and too sweaty to compute.

8: How would you recommend performers stay healthy during all the Fringe madness?
We’d recommend a healthy balanced diet of sweet potato fries, loaded fries and halloumi fries. If that doesn’t tickle your pickle, then probably make a packed lunch and try to drink at least a little bit of water.

‘Just These Please: Suitable’ was performed at Gilded Balloon Teviot at Edinburgh Festival 2019.



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