What's the one thing you know now that you wish you'd known before your first Fringe? | Edinburgh veterans share their wisdom

What's the one thing you know now that you wish you'd known before your first Fringe?

Edinburgh veterans share their wisdom

We asked comedians at this year's Edinburgh Fringe what they know now that they wished they'd known before their first festival.

Where our fucking venue was.
Rob Oldham: Brink, Cellar Monkey, 22:00

There is no point dressing for one type of weather in a single day.
ComedySportz UK, Laughing Horse @ The Free Sisters, 15:45

Do NOT kid yourself and buy a month's swim pass at the local pool. You will not swim every day, you moron: you will end up paying £35 for two swims.
Tom Ballard: Problematic, Pleasance Courtyard, 20:30

Czech. My First fringe was Prague in 2011. It would have been great to know what everyone was saying about me.
Andrew Silverwood is a "Self Absorbed Tw*t", Laughing Horse at The Mockingbird, 19:45

Don't ever read reviews. Let someone else read them if you need something for poster or flyer. But Just don't ever read them, even the good ones as they might turn you in a direction you didn't want to go.
Kidocracy, Stand 3, 12:00

Everyone is nervous about some aspect of The Fringe! When I first went to Edinburgh I thought everyone else had their show figured out, knew everyone and could do everything. However, no matter how many times you've done it, there are always aspects of The Fringe which are intimidating. That's no bad thing - in fact, that's exactly why it is so exciting. I just wish I'd have known that I wasn't the only one feeling a bit overwhelmed by it at times
Dave Chawner: C'est La Vegan, Laughing Horse @ The Counting House, 19:00

That as an Edinburgh resident I could rent my flat out to a group of Vietnamese contortionists and make more money then doing a show myself. Still, wheres the fun in that?
Liam Withnail: The Immigration Game, Heroes @ Monkey Barrel, 17:20

Lanyards are Kryptonite to other flyerers
Dave Bibby: Nobody Puts Bibby in the Corner, Underbelly, Cowgate, 15:40

That all that matters is doing the best show you can.
Joe Wells: I Hope I Die Before I Start Voting Conservative, Sneaky Pete's, 12:05

No, just because your PR says you have to have pictures pouting in a dress, you don't have to, actually- they can get fucked.
Jessica Fostekew: The Silence of the Nans, Just The Tonic Just @ The Caves, 16:00

Industry parties are zero fun and should be avoided at all costs. One free glass of luke-warm white wine isn't worth being talked at by coked-up PRs for hours.
Popular Comedian Rob Mulholland, Just The Tonic @The Caves, 20:00

Pay for flyerers. No other expense matters. Spending all day getting rejected by people is no way to get ready for a gig. Jayde Adams: Jayded The Pleasance Beneath 21:30

That nobody outside Edinburgh gives a shit what is happening in Edinburgh in August. Nobody.
Angela Barnes: Fortitude Pleasance Beside 19:15

The Fringe is much more the making of you creatively than it is professionally.
Ben Van Der Velde, Sidekick, Espionage, 20:45

No matter how intriguing it feels, never touch the floor in The Hive.
Ben Fogg: How I Won Best Newcomer 2017, Pleasance Courtyard, 16:45

Doing the naked promo at Spank only brings in one audience member the next day. But still totally worth doing.
Katharine Ferns is in Stitches, Laughing Horse @ Cabaret Voltaire, 13:30

Samuel Beckett's phrase – Ever tried, ever failed, no matter, try again, fail again, fail better - works for me. Or each gig is a challenge in itself - and every gig is always in some ways a failure.
Edward Aczel, The Hive, 18:15

Make friends with your flyering team and stay in touch - they will be running comedy festivals/companies in a couple of years.
Samantha Baines: 1 Woman, a High-Flyer and a Flat Bottom, Pleasance Courtyard, 15:30

Pies are not vitamins.
Micky Bartlett: Typical, Gilded Balloon, 17:15

I mean I've obviously not learnt anything, I keep coming back.
Amy Howerska is a Goddess *unless tired or hungry, Laughing Horse @The Counting House, 21:45

Published: 1 Aug 2017

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