Garrett Millerick's new stand-up show, Sunflower, is on at Just the Tonic at The Tron, during August.
- What is your Fringe show about?
It was going to do an hour of observational stand-up; I’d got about 30-40 minutes done and in the bag by May. Then unfortunately fate came along and buggered up my personal life and had to take a few months off comedy.
So you’re getting the forty minutes of top level observational comedy I had finished and then a meta exploration about why I can’t finish that show. It’s like an anti traditional Edinburgh narrative that became a traditional Edinburgh narrative in spite of itself. It’s been fun and cathartic to write and perform.
The person who wrote the first bit of the show is very different to the person who wrote the last bit of the show. So it’s been a fun challenge. I’d been a writer and director for years before becoming a stand up, so on this show I’ve had to get all the tools out and use everything I’ve ever learnt to deliver something interesting. It’s a show born out of circumstance essentially.
- How many times/many years have you appeared at the Fringe?
In 2003 I was in a student play. I had about five lines of dialogue and spent the whole month watching comedy and getting drunk. I’ve been back every year since in some capacity. I like theatre, film and comedy. So it’s ideal. They moved the film festival though. That was sad.
- What’s your most memorable moment from the Fringe?
I took my dog on stage at The Pleasance Grand a few years ago. He took it right in his stride. Sat next to the mic stand and got the biggest reaction of the night. He’s a Scottish dog though so he had the home field advantage.
- What’s the worst thing about the Fringe?
The movement towards an arts festival being perceived and promoted as an X-Factor audition. Lots of vulnerable people get exploited in the search for fame.
- If you were not a performer what would you be doing?
Directing. That’s what I did up here for years.
- How do you prepare for a performance?
Walking round the meadows with my dog. I like nice architecture and good parks. Edinburgh has both in abundance. It’s one of the best places in the world to just go for a walk.
- Favourite thing about being in Edinburgh?
Aside from the buildings and the parks, that glorious smell in the air in the morning and eating a deep fried Haggis.
- What’s the most Scottish thing you’ve ever done?
My friend Bill lives just outside the city. A few years back I went round his house for dinner the night before my a technical rehearsal for a play I was directing. He has one of the best whiskey collections in the world. Hundreds of bottles. He’s a real expert and the most generous of hosts. After dinner he treated us to a glorious tasting session of a sample of his collection. For about five hours we sat there as he educated us on distilleries, history, flavours. It was a brilliant evening. The morning was a different story. If you’ve spent the evening enjoying the finest Scottish hospitality and culture, make sure you don’t have to deal with English drama students in the morning.
- Favourite Scottish food/drink?
Your tap water is the best in the world. Can’t get enough of the stuff.
- Sum up your show in three words
I was working on a film once and at lunch there was a game to see who could come up with the shortest line in a script that would be the most expensive spectacle to film. The winner was ‘The fleets meet’. The show is two very different things crashing into one another to make a whole, so I’ll plagarise that if I may.
Garrett Millerick's new stand-up show, Sunflower, is on at Just the Tonic at The Tron, during August. For tickets, please visit www.edfringe.com
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