CityLife

Marissa's Edinburgh Fringe Blog - Ferry good times

Damn those sambuca shots! Marissa contemplates drinking with Mr Ferry

OH my word. If you ever hear me utter the words, I’m off for a quick pint with Mick Ferry slap me with a kipper and bundle me back in the flat.

Jesus, was I drunk on Monday night (A Monday! I know, crazy…). To be fair it wasn’t just Mick I was out with but also comedians Rob Riley, Sarah Profit and Justin Moorhouse plus his lovely other half Catherine.

Then there were most of the staff (and boss) at the Comedy Store. They all helped. Though it has to be said that Rob and Sarah escorted me home where I passed out on the sofa. Never again. Well until someone else plys this journo with drink that is…

The freakishly sunny weather that we’d arrived in Edinburgh to appears to have passed, thankfully. I lost a pint of moisture last week sat for 55 minutes in one the portakabins (yep, up here they are a genuine venue) in the Pleasance Courtyard.

One publication has, amongst other things, sent me to see Ashley Hames’ Confessions of a Sex Reporter (he’s the former presenter of Bravo’s Sin Cities) show and sketch show Late Night Gimp Fight, you have to wonder what my reputation with the editor is… The result?

Well no live male nudity so far this year but there have been a lot men in undies (and gimp masks) and Hames (thankfully only on film) being subjected to a red wine enema and his scrotum nailed to a plank of wood. Even I cringed. 

Despite the S&M and gimping scenarios and aside from the alcohol shenanigans I’ve only had one ropey, icky feeling day so far – think I may have been allergic to tartan or comedians or something.

Spent Sunday afternoon in the Edinburgh Football Club checking out some shows on the Free Fringe.

Sat in the bar in between with the old guys making me feel very welcome offering me sausage rolls (‘you’re very kind, but I’ve been vegetarian now for almost 25 years…’) and with an eye on the Chelsea v Man United match.

Also bumped into Moss Side’s own Vince Atta who was there to see Man U. His endeavours to watch the game weren’t helped by the fact that, maybe to gain a degree of suspense or possibly because it was an English match, someone kept turning the TV over to the racing but we persisted.

They’re weren’t many in two of the three shows I’d come to see, so by the end of both the acts and the audience were all on first name terms, knew where each other were from and had arranged a fancy dress night out around the pubs of Leith.

Sadly the shows themselves though cosy and hosted by lovely guys weren’t critically speaking great and have elicited some low star rating reviews from me.

Oh God, just realised my photo’s on this too… could make being out on the town dressed as a nun with them socially awkward.

Saw the lovely Camille from Manchester-based sketch troupe Lady Garden while on the phone to my neighbour checking my cat was ok.

Did the usual mime of will call you as we passed but then realised I didn’t actually have her number.

Never mind, will check out their show later in the week. Also bumped into Hannah ‘Lady Garden’ in the Pleasance after inadvertently joining the queue for Tom Wrigglesworth’s show.

Having seen him at the Football Club, popped into to see Atta’s show Vince Atta is Not Black Enough, which takes a wry look at his mixed race heritage and how it felt growing up the pastiest black man in his family.

The result? Engaging, entertaining and thought provoking.

Checked out Manc-based Geordie Seymour Mace’s family show Funshine at Stand 2.

Lots of daft games including dodge the sausage featuring real life sausages (Thankfully, Mace knows me well enough not to offer me a sausage to throw at him).

To preserve our anonymity all had to wear name badges bearing a false name.

I was, and indeed would only answer to for the rest of the day (well until the sticker fell off in the newsagents) ‘Shirley Cow.’ I’m thinking of adopting it as the name I give when asked by comedians in shows.

Also saw his show Sundayland (like an adult Funshine) with Peter Slater with their adopted African baby Gareth (the very grown up and white sound man from the Comedy Store).

Peter’s mum and dad were in (lovely people) and didn’t seem fazed by such features as swear at a celebrity comedian or the news for dogs for that matter. I’ve seen the show a few times over the past few months and it’s really come on.

Oh yes and the show that was to end in me swaying out of the Gilded Balloon’s infamous Library (then Loft) Bar at 5am - Mick Ferry The Comedy Final. It’s Ferry’s debut show at the Fringe having been a pretty well kept comedy secret on the circuit for a while - until he appeared on Michael McIntyre’s Comedy Roadshow the other week that is.

He’s never won anything apparently so he’s decided to create his own comedy competition where he’s all five of the acts that way he’s guaranteed to win something. It’s a fine showcase of Ferry’s talents, the sharp, inventive wit with a lovely absurdist edge to it.

Here’s goes with week two…

*YOU can read Marissa's first entry to the right.