The Edinburgh Fringe – the world’s largest and most talked-about arts festival – is firmly under way with more than 30,000 performers playing across 258 venues for the enjoyment of millions of punters from all corners of the world.
Somewhere amidst this mass of comedy, theatre and art can be found three performers from the shores of Jersey – all attempting to navigate the chaos and excitement of Scotland’s capital.
In the second part of a series of Edinburgh Fringe Q&As, Express spoke to Jersey comedian Christian Jegard.
Christian is taking his alternative stand-up show “Mr Showbusiness” to the Fringe after an acclaimed performance at the Jersey Arts Centre in April.
How has your experience at the Edinburgh Fringe been thus far, and how has it differed from your expectations?
It’s been pretty stressful – every day I’ve been running back and forth between shows in a three-piece suit, so you can only imagine the aroma of my duds, it’s been EIGHT days.
But at the same time it’s exhilarating and fun. I don’t know what I was expecting, but I’m glad I’m here!
How has the Mr Showbusiness show gone down in Edinburgh compared to your earlier performances in Jersey?
It’s been going great! Audiences have been lovely, feedback glowing.
Obviously I can’t make jokes about Jersey up here; my 15 minutes of material about Fantastic Tropical Gardens flies under the radar, so I’ve been adapting my stuff to fit the room each night.
What challenges does the Fringe throw up for performers, and how have you been navigating them?
Well, it’s crazy expensive. The biggest problem it seems is that the cost of putting on a show here is so vast that it’s pricing out huge swathes of the performing population.
Absolutely nothing wrong with posh comedians, of course, but it’s important that comedy should have all sorts of voices
christian jegard
I’m here because I’m part of a showcase called ‘Best in Class’, which helps working-class comics, and because of an artist grant from Arthouse Jersey – otherwise there’s no way I could do this myself (unlike most of the comics here!).
Absolutely nothing wrong with posh comedians, of course, but it’s important that comedy should have all sorts of voices. It isn’t just for Oxbridge stand-ups whose parents have a Wikipedia page!
Have you been hanging out with any other Jersey people during your stay?
Yes! I had coffee with Wayne Stewart, who is up here with his show Asura, and I had Robyn Cabaret from Arthouse Jersey attend my show last night!
Always lovely seeing Jersey faces in the audience.
Tickets for the Edinburgh Fringe Festival are available here.
