Maisie Adam’s debut stand-up show, Vague, will be on at the Gilded Balloon Wee Room during August.
- Tell us about your Fringe show
It’s about my experiences of growing up and navigating all of those youth-defining moments you crave as a teenager, whilst trying to deal with Epilepsy. It’s something I’ve not really spoken about before, but I think I’m able to look at it from a more balanced and humorous perspective now as opposed to when I was in my teens. The experiences aren’t all around that though, lots of my material will be relatable regardless of whether or not you’re a fellow epileptic!
- How does it feel to be playing the Fringe for the first time?
Just amazing. Though I am super-nervous. I’ve seen so many amazing shows at the Fringe, and never thought I’d have my own show there, especially at such a great venue as the Gilded Balloon. It’s quite scary, but also really exciting and I’m really looking forward to it.
- Why did you decide to perform at the Fringe?
Well part of the prize for winning So You Think You’re Funny was a run of shows at the Gilded Balloon. I had the option to wait a couple of years, but I felt like I had enough to say for a show, and was keen to carry on that momentum of winning SYTYF. It’s an amazing opportunity and I want to make the most of it!
- If you were not a performer what would you be doing?
My degree was in Community Theatre, and so whilst at Uni I would work with all sorts of people and communities, including young offenders, people with special educational needs, homeless people, and elderly residents from a care home. It was really rewarding – and very hard work – but had I not got into comedy I think I would have continued to work with those communities on theatre projects.
- How do you prepare for a performance?
I used to go to Youth Theatre as a kid, and they taught us a few exercises to do before you go onstage so that you didn’t fluff your lines, and I still use them before every gig! I have a tendency to stutter or get a dry mouth if I don’t do a few tongue-twisters – “There’s a Chip Shop in Space selling Spaceship-shaped chips” is always a good one!
- Best/worst advice you’ve been given ahead of your debut show?
I’m not sure about the worst, but the best advice that I keep getting from fellow comics who have a few Fringes under their belts, is to just enjoy it and not get distracted by comparing yourself to others. Obviously that is going to be easier said than done, and I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t going to be reading the reviews, but I need to live by that famous Sarah Millican nugget of advice – don’t let yourself wallow in the aftermath of a gig (good or bad) past 11am the morning after.
- Favourite thing about being in Edinburgh?
I really like Calton Hill. The morning after the So You Think You’re Funny final, I walked up there after my Uncle recommended it as a good spot to see. I love the incredible 360 views you can get from there, you get the rural hills, the castle, the sea, the city – and you don’t even have to take a day off to do it, it’s super close to the city centre!
- What’s the most Scottish thing you’ve done?
Last year when I came to the fringe for the SYTYF competition, I stepped off the train and within five minutes I was eating a battered Mars Bar, thinking I was the ultimate culture vulture! I don’t know what’s worse, the fact I thought that was the “when in Rome” thing to do in Scotland, or the fact that I actually quite liked it.
- Favouite Scottish food/drink?
Scottish shortbread will always hold a dear place in my heart, as my Granny always has it in her house and insists on offering it round whenever you visit. As for drinks, it’s got to be a scotch whiskey – my Dad loves a scotch and I think I’ve inherited it from him.
- Sum up your show in three words
Authentic. Nostalgic. Epileptic.
Show summary
In her debut show, the northerner and self-confessed "Slave to the Sesh" relays her experiences of navigating the recklessness of youth whilst dealing with a medical condition that requires you to be a "Sensible Susan".
Maisie Adam’s debut stand up show, Vague, will be on at the Gilded Balloon Wee Room during August. For tickets, please visit www.edfringe.com
You can follow Maisie on Twitter at @MaisieAdam, find her on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/MaisieAdamComedy and visit her website at www.maisieadam.wixsite.com/comedy
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