Comedy

For the last eight years, Michelle Flower has spent the entire month of August at the Edinburgh Fringe, ‘flyering, working at different venue and producing shows’. She first went there when she was 16: ‘Longer ago than I care to think about. It was amazing. I joined Arthur Smith on his famous tour of the Royal Mile and played rounders with a team of comedians.’
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This year, though, she’s giving it a miss. She’ll be in London instead. Flower, together with Zena Barrie, runs the Etcetera Theatre in Camden – ‘London’s smallest theatre,’ she claims. Smaller than, say, the Hen & Chickens? ‘Certainly in terms of capacity. That’s 42.’ They do everything. ‘We programme the theatre, draw up contracts, market shows, rewire the lights, clean the toilets.’

It’s a small-scale enterprise, but one whose influence is growing. Last August they set up the first ever Camden Fringe at the Etcetera (22 shows over four weeks) for others to run during their absence up north. This year they have expanded: there are 46 shows and they’re using Liberties Bar, further down Camden High Street from the Etcetera, as a second venue.

They’re calling it a ‘micro-fringe’ festival. ‘The eternal complaint about Edinburgh is that it’s becoming more and more “corporate” each year,’ Flower declares. ‘Taking a show there is a notoriously expensive endeavour. The presence of more and more big-name performers makes it increasingly difficult for new acts to get an audience. The Camden Fringe provides a simple and low-cost starting-point for acts, with less risks than Edinburgh.’ Flower says her favourite new metaphor is that the Camden Fringe is a nursery slope that assists performers in preparing for a future Edinburgh slalom , ‘though I’m not sure why I’m thinking skiing, since I’ve never shown any interest in it in my life.’

There’s a mix of comedy and theatre. The comedy includes significant talents like the blisteringly effective American Scott Capurro, who’s doing Camden as a stepping stone en route to the Athens of the North (has no one noticed that the climate’s a tad different?), sketch groups such as Three Cheese Salad and Four Monks and a Nun, double acts like Electric Head, Gavin & Gavin and the Ham Yard Tourists, and a spot of storytelling. Also drag act Russella in ‘Princess Die: Through the Eyes of a Queen’, a one-girl show that takes a darkly comic look at the life and times of Lady Diana, from the little girl who dreamed of being a ballerina to the bulimic fashion icon of the 1980s. ‘Hopefully the princes won’t get wind of it,’ Flower remarks. Of course, they might see the funny side were there any evidence they possess a sense of humour that extends beyond Nazi impersonations.

Last year Pete Gold (pictured) sold out at the Camden Fringe with his one-man show. This time he’s back again with a combination of stand-up and songs covering topics such as how Darth Vader helped him to give up KitKats and London 2012, aka ‘P*ss Off, We Don’t Want the Olympics’ (oh my, how unpatriotic!). There’s also an audience participation song involving swearing. Those who doubt whether comedy can have a lasting impact should have been there when Gold filmed a song entitled ‘Why Do They Think I’m Gay?’ onboard HMS Belfast. Sailors were whistling it long after. Gold finds he’s strangely touched. ‘I’m hoping some of my new songs will eventually be hummed on other Royal Navy vessels up and down the country.’

Who knows, the Camden Festival might one day find itself relaunched by Royal Appointment. For now, Flower will settle for steady growth. She’s quite content not to be in Edinburgh. ‘I’ll miss the camaraderie and familiar faces. I won’t miss the stress and deep-fried food.’

The Camden Fringe runs July 30-August 26. For details see www.camdenfringe.org and listings from this Monday.