In comedy, dance and theatre, Irish shows are causing a stir at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Now there's talk of London transfers and North American tours, writes Brian O'Connell
Even before a flier had been handed out at this year's Edinburgh Festival Fringe, an Emerald invasion was predicted, based on the strength of Irish shows taking part. "Calculated PR" may have been the cry from some quarters, yet with week one of the festival over, some Irish shows and performers are the toast of the tartan capital, and the invasion is complete.
In a cafe across from the Gilded Balloon, a venue that has launched the career of many an Irish comic over the years, the next generation of Irish comedians are sitting around comparing notes. Maeve Higgins and her sister Lily - whose show, Ha Ha Yum, was one of the first to get the critics salivating - are in relaxed mood. A four-star Scotsman review has ensured sizeable audiences for the rest of their festival run. Now they can relax into their routine. If they're lucky they might break even at the end of it, by which time they'll return to Ireland with a tight show and another career-affirming experience.
Beside them, Edinburgh first-timer Andrew Stanley can also be pleased with his first week. His show with fellow Dubliner Damian Clark entitled I Dare Ya, is going down well with Edinburgh audiences who are always willing to add a pinch of torture to their theatre, as circus exhibitionist and Edinburgh favourite Jim Rose, can testify to. Stanley and Clark's show consists of audience members suggesting dares for them to do the following day, which are then filmed and shown to the next night's audience.
Thus far, the duo have had their belly buttons pierced, been fitted for lingerie and had to run down a Scottish street with English football shirts proclaiming their disdain for the natives.
"Generally we've been received really well," said Stanley, "We got some of the big publications in early on, which was great because there is so much competition. We got eight reviewers in the first week and a half. I also think that being Irish, there is definitely a rub-off from other Irish acts. I look at pre-sales, and they are zero every day. It's all about getting the word out there, flyering late at night and that type of thing. We've also had a few TV producers in to see the show, so fingers crossed."
If Higgins and Stanley are creating waves early on, John Lynn and Carol Tobin have a more difficult task.
Both Edinburgh novices, they perform in the 'Young, Gifted and Green' showcase event each night at 11.30pm in sweaty basement of the Gilded Balloon.
The night previous, Tobin had a shocker, nervously relating her routine to an audience well oiled and indifferent. She knows there will be more nights like this, before her routine is tight and she can start to feel confident.
Lynn, on the other hand, settled into the routine of performing nightly remarkably quickly.
His was an assured and polished performance the previous night, and he retains a realistic vista on his ambitions at the festival: "What we have is a compilation show. There is no message or theme, no connection or illusion. It's just three people going out and doing stand-up. I just want to learn from the experience: I've no expectations of big reviews or anything like that.
"It's fantastic to be able to come here and spend this amount of time getting better and relaxing into it.It's so hard to develop at home, when you could do three gigs in a row and not have another one again for three weeks. A few promoters came to see us and said they'd be watching our development. I think with Edinburgh, though, it takes four or five years to build your audience. It normally doesn't happen overnight."
ASIDE FROM COMEDIANS, across the performing arts, week one of Edinburgh Festival Fringe has been good to the Irish. The most spectacular success so far has been Rough Magic's Improbable Frequency, which has received four-star and five-star reviews from most major UK publications. Tickets for the run are selling out, while venue owners from Bristol to Boston are falling over themselves to see the show.
Far from revelling in the spotlight, Rough Magic executive producer Loughlin Deegan has returned from Edinburgh and is trying to cope with the sheer number of inquiries. Not that he's complaining - a hit like this can launch a company internationally, and it seems likely now that, at the very least, Improbable Frequency will get a London transfer on the basis of its Edinburgh success.
"It's very exciting and quite daunting when a show is very successful," says Deegan, having just heard news of another five-star review in Monday's Evening Standard. "There is a lot of interest in a London transfer and a lot of important people are coming to the show. There is a lot to play for when you have a hit in Edinburgh - potential for the show is great."
The show's writer, Arthur Riordan, hasn't fared all that badly either, with the Observer referring to him as the potential future of British musical theatre.
"I'm really delighted for the acknowledgement Arthur is getting on this. We have always thought of it as a great literary and theatrical achievement.
Other shows with Irish connections to register include The Performance Corporation's Dr Ledbetter's Experiment, which is doing the business at the box office; Abbie Spallen's Pumpgirl, starring Orla Fitzgerald, earning four-star reviews at the Traverse; Sean Campion's performance as Frank Burns in the Fringe First winning show Food; and columnist Mary Kenny's play Allegiance at the Assembly Rooms, which stars Mel Smith as Winston Churchill attempting to make a deal with Michael Collins (Michael Fassbender).
Another success story of week one was CoisCéim Dance Theatre, who returned to the festival for only their second time with Knots at the renowned Aurora Nova venue. Three five-star reviews and several sell-out performances later and the company's artistic director, David Bolger, is a happy man. The company now have their sights set further afield.
"We opened a week ago and so far it's been received really well. The reviews have been fantastic, which helps so much when you are fighting for an audience here.
"Several promoters have been in to see us and next week we have five American promoters coming over, as we are trying to set up a North American tour. What is impressive is that it is only our second year here and already in the papers they are talking about us as if we have been here forever saying stuff like, 'CoisCéim are back'. It's a great feeling. As the saying goes, you only have one chance to be a first-timer in Edinburgh. The trick is to make an impact whatever way you can."
