What's the oddest prop you've bought or had made for a Fringe show? | Comedians recall the strange looks...

What's the oddest prop you've bought or had made for a Fringe show?

Comedians recall the strange looks...

In 2015, we made a necklace of spatulas with Richard Bacon's face on them.
Next Best Thing: How to be Good at Everything, Pleasance Courtyard,16:45

A small doll with its stomach filled with iron filings so that it could be picked up by a magnet on a fishing line.
Holly Morgan: Seven Crazy Bitches, Assembly Hall, 19:00

I've currently got a homemade rollercoaster using a broom handle and webcam, a papier mache model of Welsh Folktale Mari Lwyd and some homemade firework cannons. I also previously used a giant cut out of Chandler Bing. All this time that could have been spent writing jokes!
Edy Hurst: Theme Show, Just the Tonic at the Tron, 11:00

The Dr. Dickhead hat, consisting of a dildo superglued on to a Policeman's helmet. We couldn't think of many good jokes that year so we just made things that looked a bit funny instead.
Rob Oldham: Brink, Cellar Monkey, 22:00.

I'm a magician, most of my props are a bit odd. In 2009 I had to buy packets of French Fancies and leave them out just long enough to go stale and hard, without being so brittle that they'd shatter in my pocket. Exploding French Fancy is a hell of a mess to clean out of woollen trousers – and that's no euphemism.
Morgan & West: Return of the Time-Travelling Magicians, Underbelly Med Quad, 17:15

A full chorus line made up of Margaret Thatcher, Duchess of Cambridge, Emma Watson, Donald Trump and me.
Dave Bibby: Nobody Puts Bibby in the Corner, Underbelly Cowgate, 15:40

A 5ft 4inch Tampon that lights up
Tales from a Tampon, Laughing Horse @ 48 Below, 20:45

A tractor tyre. It was for my big ending where I bring the tractor wheel out and say 'God, is anyone else feeling a bit tyred...' Even though the joke got a standing ovation every day, it was such a ball ache to transport around Edinburgh and was a logistical nightmare. If I could have afforded the £20,000 price tag, I would have purchased a meteorite and said 'Well this was out of this world'. But you can't have everything, and to be fair, I think the tractor wheel joke probably had a bit more depth and resonated more with people.
Michael Stranney: Welcome To Ballybeg, Pleasance Courtyard, 18:00

I have built my own Scientology e-meter out of a shoebox, two tin cans and some tin foil. It is every bit as effective as a real one.
Andy Daly: Monsters Take Your Questions, Gilded Balloon, 20:30

It's this year’s show. I've had to get a 'very' naked photo of myself printed out and enlarged. Weird looks from a young man called Steve who was working at OfficeWorks last Tuesday. Hello Steve.
Nath Valvo: Not In This House, Assembly Studio 4, 21:00

Chris Lince once made me a tiny cow with udders that spat real milk and I think Emily Juniper once made a boomerang made of dildos to mime inserting into me. She came up with something new every day to insert into me and no two props were ever the same. I think there was a voodoo doll made of Vegemite or something one day too.
Race Off Gilded Balloon 18:45

My Squirrel Stick. Had to find a local carpenter to drill a hole in a piece of wood so I could pop my penis through it.
Simon Morley: Naked Ambition, Heroes at Monkey Barrel, 15:40

Darren bought a cheap strap-on from a sex-shop in Cardiff for a sketch in which he plays a sex robot. He explained the scenario to the proprietor, but the man became confused and thought Darren was actually building a sex robot at home for his own pleasure. Rather than correct the sex-shop owner, Darren cheerfully accepted lubricant and WD-40 for his sex-robot, promising the man pictures of the fetishistic Frankenstein once completed.
The Death Hilarious: The Scum Always Rises, Pleasance Courtyard, 22:45

I remember that I once had to make a jacket out of teabags. It was a few years ago now so the funny thing is I can't actually remember why it was in the show - but I know that making a full suit out of teabags and hot glue takes days.
Laura Davis: Cake in the Rain, Underbelly Med Quad, 20:10

My Dad's ashes were on stage with me at my first show. I never mentioned it, nobody ever knew. Until now.
Angela Barnes: Fortitude, Pleasance Courtyard, 19:15

This year I have a pair of gloves I wear in my solo show that has penises instead of fingers. Pat Cahill made them for me and they're really quite something. Going for the main award this year.
Phil Ellis Has Been Ice, Just The Tonic @ The Mash House, 19:40

Published: 7 Aug 2017

Live comedy picks

We see you are using AdBlocker software. Chortle relies on advertisers to fund this website so it’s free for you, so we would ask that you disable it for this site. Our ads are non-intrusive and relevant. Help keep Chortle viable.