If you reviewed your own show, how would you describe it?
As I’m performing the show I’m reviewing, I’m going to be very biased. This is the highest form of nepotism there is. The autoerotic asphyxiation of partisanship. So I’ll have to make it good but vague so as not to arouse suspicion. Ok, here we go: “She really has something. A million stars.”
What is the best or most inspiring show you’ve seen at the Festivals?
During my first year of flyering, I saw a man dressed as The Predator argue with a woman dressed as a witch on the Royal Mile. They were arguing over a pitch and this lasted an hour. The police were called and it turns out they were related. This performance was free for all the public to view.
What do you do to relax in August?
I watch The Big Reunion, an ITV documentary on pop acts from the late nineties having breakdowns in Premier Inns in the mid 2000s. Gonna add yoga into the mix this year, see if I can do both at the same time.
What show are you most looking forward to seeing in August, and why?
Heidi Regan’s one [Jekyll and Hyde] sounds amazing, she told me about it in Machynleth. I was incredibly moved. Of course, I’ve forgotten what the actual story is but the feeling is still there. Debut-wise, Roger O’Sullivan is one of the most exciting comics out there and I think his [PBH Free Fringe] show [Fekken] is going to be silly.
What’s the one piece of advice you’d give a performer coming to Edinburgh for the first time?
Don’t have a documentary crew following you whilst you flyer in the rain. [Also,] don’t call your show Alison Spittle Needs an Agent. It’s a cry for help that will go unanswered.
Tell me a little more about your show and what audiences can expect?
It’s a stand up show about being fat, going on the jabs and noticing things. Imagine a fat girl trauma-dumping on you in a night club toilet but trying to keep the vibes fun.
Can you talk about some of the creative team involved?
I did some sessions with Ellen Robertson and Jet Vevers. They were great to bounce ideas off. I asked loads of fat friends and comedian pals to watch the show and make sure I’m telling the truth but not being a dickhead.
Where do you draw inspiration from for your work, both in terms of creation and performance?
I dunno, I don’t look to others for performance tips, I think sometimes I pick up cadences from memes and slang but I can’t pin down what. I just perform as me and try to quell my lisp and project my voice.
Looking at this production, how would you say it links to previous work personally and thematically?
All of my shows involve a weird interaction with a strange man. The male loneliness epidemic is my muse.
Alison Spittle: BIG, Monkey Barrel Comedy, 29 Jul-24 Aug (not 12), 4.45pm