Sid Singh is in Edinburgh performing his stand-up show Table For One at Cabaret Voltaire at 4.15pm  Here he shares what he can't get enough of at the festival, his most embarrassing Edinburgh experience and the worst thing about the Fringe. Apart from the cost of accommodation, obviously…

Edinburgh binge

The absolute best part of the festival is getting to meet up with all of my amazing comedy friends from all over the world. 

As a touring comedian, I spend a lot of my year performing in cities all over the world. As a broke touring comic, I also spend a lot of my year sleeping on the couches, air mattresses, and guest bedrooms of these amazing underrated local comedians who live in all these cities. 

The Fringe is the only time of year that suddenly I can hang out with my hilarious beer buddy from Berlin, my funny coffee-loving friend from Barcelona, and inventive cocktail-seeking pal from Amsterdam at the same time and at the same place! 

Plus afterwards I can see their amazing hour shows (and you should too.)

Edinburgh cringe

I offered to tech my friend’s show last year to help her out after she couldn’t find one last minute. One day, because my friend is an amazing performer, Phoebe Waller-Bridge came to see the show. 

Anyway, another audience member left their phone on a nearby seat, and I asked Phoebe and her friend if the phone was theirs. ‘No, I guess it’s all yours buddy!’ said her friend, which unfortunately for me, made me think I had the great opportunity to make a joke and make these two people laugh. ‘Cool, I have eight now.’ Still not even sure why I thought that would be funny.

Both of those people nervously chuckled and then looked away as fast as possible. 

Basically, they both just politely agreed that I looked like the kind of nervous dork that would take eight phones and then brag about it. So uh, I’ll be reliving and cringing about that moment for the rest of my life. 

Edinburgh whinge

The worst part about the Fringe happens two weeks in. After a week of running around, doing shows, and forgetting to eat, I am in the best shape of my life…and then my body adjusts, I find shortcuts to gigs, and I remember to eat and my body balloons up again as it fills up with salt and beer. 

But not this year! This year, I will definitely remember to take better care of my body and avoid all the excess drinking and eating food late at night! But I’ve said that each of the past ten years and failed every time (except the one year I succeeded because of **checks notes** Covid.)