Paul Vickers, former Dawn of the Replicants frontman and autistic Fringe stalwart shares some of the experiences he’s gone through over the years, part reflection, part warning, dig into the magical mind of Twonkey/Twonketta.
I’ve been performing at the Fringe for 16 years in various situations, alter egos, outlets and environments, but there is a darker side to the Fringe.
Falling asleep on a bus.
At some point during the Fringe, you may fall asleep on a bus due to pure exhaustion. The best thing to do is recover in a dignified manner, wipe any dribble that may have occurred during the time of your passing, then try and locate where you are. If you are not familiar with the city, you may become confused, distressed, and disorientated quickly. Remember as my grandma used to say you’re never lost with a tongue in your head, there’s always a kind stranger waiting to help. Ask someone directions, get back on the bus and return to a location that you feel comfortable in, then proceed as normal.
Disintegration.
At some point during the Fringe parts of your clothing will evaporate or be destroyed. Previously I’ve had pairs of shoes that have split in two and fragmented into lumps during the run. This year, the inside pockets of my Inspector Clouseau coat got holes in them overnight. The lining has evaporated and eroded rapidly, however the coat was made in 1969. For some reason the Fringe is really hard on fabrics in particular and I have noticed every year that clothing I’ve worn for years starts to become damaged and unusable within a matter of a week or two, so always be prepared by bringing extra clothing and a good handful of shoes are useful because the chances are the clothing that you normally use, including costumes will not survive the run. There will be some sort of incident where your clothing will perish or ruin.
Crying in the Chapel.
Elvis was famously proud of the fact that he was not afraid to cry in the chapel. If you need some space, peace and quiet to reset your mind, a visit to a church even if you’re not religious is a good opportunity to check in with yourself . Simply get on your knees in the pews, light a candle and give thanks to your very existence. Remember being humbled by everything is a good thing to do. There’s more important things in the world than your show and a Fringe run can make you a little self-centered and self obsessed. So taking a moment to accept the glory of God is not a bad idea. It puts you at one with the universe and at peace with yourself.
The Importance of Bubble Wrap.
Objectivity: if you are a proper comedian like myself (I.E you use props), you will need to look after your antique puppets and curios. I use about 14 metres of non perishable bubble wrap. It’s always good to use a hard case suitcase rather than a soft case one as in the communal areas things can become too compact, crushed, and utterly destroyed. Remember to protect each object carefully as props guide you through your show, without them, you will have missing holes in the tent of your own imagination. A missing prop can devastate you during a performance and knock you off and lead you into an irregular performance pattern. It could make people think you have lost your mind or simply that you’re not doing a good job. Remember to protect everything in your show as during the Fringe the show is your beating heart.
Disclaimer: this is all written partly tongue in cheek, I do love the fringe and the pure rush of a show clicking with a crowd is simply a priceless joy.
