EDINBURGH 2017: BWW Q&A- Jessica Fostekew

Tell us a bit about The Silence of the Nans

It's a comedy-horror show. It's one big giant tale of disaster at sea. Last summer I thought I was going on a beautiful, lucrative expedition to utopia, but it all went more knockers-up than I'd known was even possible.

Why bring it to Edinburgh?

It's a brilliant, horrible but I hope, very funny, story. I had a baby since my last show, which I'd casually assumed would be my 'main news'. Nope. This disastrous misadventure was more eventful and more harrowing.

I didn't go to the festival at all last year for the first time in a decade. I'd never had a year off and I did all sorts of other things, it was magic. What I hadn't expected is that it's led to me having a real fire in my belly to be there this year. I'm excited about this show and about comedy generally. I have learned, I think, that comedians should only ever come to the festival when they've got something they're really burning to share.

What sets it apart from other shows at the Fringe?

A lot of stand up shows are a collection of jokes and anecdotes, hung together around a loose theme. This is different in that I'm telling one, huge, true story. I've never done a show like this before and it's a fascinating and really compelling process. My stand up has always been honest but I would say that this is my most open and vulnerable show to date - but don't worry, I don't mean that there's a claggy 'sad bit'. I heard a comedian actually say out loud once, "here comes my sad bit." This is a hard question to answer, because obviously there's a lot of stunning work up at the fringe. I would say that mine is a uniquely good tale and that I've found I love recounting it. I'm an actor as well as a stand up and it brings me real joy to make the world of the story as real as possible by bringing all the people I met on my journey to as much life as possible.

As this is your fifth show do you think you know what to expect from the festival?

Increasingly so. I know to take care of my health, without being boring or never unwinding. Work-wise I love being really busy but in an increasingly selective way. But it's not a consistent state of learning, the festival changes so you have to change what to expect. I spent two years being visible but losing an insane amount of money then two years making money but going virtually unnoticed. I'm determined to strike a balance this year and you know what they say, 'fifth show lucky'. They say that don't they? Everyone's always saying that.

Who would you recommend comes to see you?

Anyone who loves comedy and stories. Land-based, modern comedy and stories that comedians have written all by themselves. Ideally they'll also have a reasonable grasp of the English language. Please. Anyone who likes 'a weirdo', they're especially welcome.

Timings and ticket information for Jessica Fostekew: The Silence of the Nans can be found on the edfringe website.

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