Beth Vyse discusses settling down with Michael Jackson, acting and thieving at the Royal Shakespeare Company and dealing with cancer at the age of 28.
Tell us about your Fringe show
Well it’s called As Funny As Cancer… Catchy title Eh? There is nothing less funny than Cancer, I know.
I had breast cancer five years ago. ‘But you look too young Beth?’ Yeah, I know!
I was actually 28 when I found it. I didn’t want to tell anyone at first, I wanted to prove I was just the same as everyone else, but, of course, you are not. I always done character stuff : the irreverent, absurd, surreal humour I’d always be into too. I’ve done this for the past five years alongside scans, hospital appointments, but now they’ve stopped I’ve decided it’s time to tell my story (don’t worry it’s been a pretty funny one)
Hear the tale of my Stoke-on-Trent family ‘The Waltons on Alcohol’, my time with Nelson Mandela, acting and thieving at the Royal Shakespeare Company, settling down with Michael Jackson and finding cancer. Not to mention me producing two football teams from her womb. And all before the age of 30! BOOM!
Best thing about the Fringe?
Packed house, who you don’t know, all laughing.
Worst thing about the Fringe?
Stress, stress makes comics into awful, awful people.
How many years have you been coming to the Fringe?
Five long years.
Favourite Fringe venue?
Ooooh I can’t pick one, Pleasance Courtyard, The Hive and Banshee’s Labyrinth, it holds lots of dear memories for me.
Best Fringe memory?
When John Kearns won best newcomer.
Best heckle?
Someone giving me a can of Gin and Tonic when on stage, they said I needed one.
Craziest on stage experience?
There was bit in the show where I wanted to dress a man up as Jane MacDonald and I had a pair of fake breasts and he said you don’t need those, took his top off and sat there proud as punch with himself. (He was rather portly!)
What’s on your rider?
Bottle a wine and latex body parts.
How do you wind down after a show?
Intercourse
What do you love about Scotland?
The Hills
What do you like about Edinburgh?
The Hills
What’s the most Scottish thing you’ve done?
The Hills
What kind of jokes do a Scottish crowd seem to respond to?
Good ones! (Plus the filth of course)
Favourite joke?
There was an old farmer from Greece
Who did terrible things to his geese
But he went too far with a budgerigar
And the parrot phoned the police.
Les Dawson
Beth Vyse will perform at Heroes @ the Hive from August 6-17 and 19-30.
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