John Robertson talks about his Fringe show, The Dark Room.
1 Tell us about your Fringe show
Got two! The Dark Room, which is the world’s only live-action videogame, now celebrating its 5th year at Fringe by selling out a 180 seat room, and Arena Spectacular, which is an arena show in a broom cupboard.
2 Best thing about the Fringe?
The great sensation of having people say “we saw you” and not finishing with “pissing in the street”.
3 Worst thing about the Fringe?
Journalists.
4 How many years have you been coming to the Fringe?
Seven years!
5 Favourite Fringe venue?
White Belly @ Underbelly Cowgate is currently tied with The Stand. The Stand is one of the best comedy clubs in the world, and White Belly is perfectly suited to my stadium-filling levels of crazy.
6 Best Fringe memory?
2010, our first Fringe - my wife and I had £3,000 of loose change in our bag and were eating a celebratory pizza from the best chippy in Edinburgh (Zara on Cowgate.) We lent on the window of our flat, and drank in that smell of hops that means you’re in Edinburgh… and heard two German backpackers having disappointing sex in the alley below. Turns out “Schnell” means “faster”. We applauded when he gave up.
7 Best heckle?
There are no good heckles, just crap people.
8 Craziest on stage experience?
I decided to crowd-surf out of a 3,000 seat theatre after an epic Dark Room show. The audience crammed in the aisles and held up their hands… and I sailed directly over several strong people into four tiny Japanese women who crumpled beneath all 5’ 8’’ of me. Three of them were okay, but I’m pretty sure Yuriko died.
9 What’s on your rider?
Three tiny Japanese women.
10 How do you wind down after a show?
Three tiny - okay, I’ll stop that.
11 What do you love about Scotland?
Raw beauty, generous people, and a sense of humour never knowingly undersold.
12 What do you like about Edinburgh?
The architecture! What a series of incredible buildings you people have from which to buy your groceries and chips n’ cheese (Zara on Cowgate is, again, the best.)
13 What’s the most Scottish thing you’ve done?
Walking through Glasgow, a ned was running from a cop. I was holding my chicken pakora and chips n’ cheese. The boy ran up to me, I sidestepped, kicked him and he went headfirst into a parked car. Cop was grateful and I didn’t drop my dinner. Not bad.
14 What kind of jokes do a Scottish crowd seem to respond to?
Smart filth and clever daftness.
15 Favourite joke?
William McGonagall.
16 Favourite Scottish food/drink?
I used to be a huge fan of Lorne Sausage and tatty scones, then I got food poisoning off a bad batch. Flat on the way in, alarming on the way out.
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