EDINBURGH 2017: A Day At The Fringe: Sam Goodburn

Edinburgh Festival Fringe performer Sam Goodburn blogs for BWW about a typical day at the Fringe.

My day started my day by traveling from where I am staying towards Cowgate, via unicycle. When I'm away I tend to get around on my unicycle, it is faster than walking, lightweight and you can take it into shops or onto public transport easily. But before you get any ideas, it is in no way as efficient as a bike and if I had bicycle in my show I would be getting to place three times faster, and five times less of a massive dork.

Midway to my destination I was offered a flyer with a big grin by a girl I had met a few days previous at an informal meeting with a team of Underbelly's street team. She handed me a bright blue flyer with a picture of me unicycling on the front and I proceeded to tell her that "I already had one". We chatted for a bit and she ended up sitting on my shoulders on the unicycle and we did a few laps of George's Square and handed out leaflets together.

At Cowgate I prepared my set, I have a full living room of a girl's apartment, I inflated my sofa, glued some tea bags together and went to the cafe area to get some bread toasted for a bit in my show. Turnaround time is very quick so in 10 minutes me and anyone to hand quickly carries the living room onto the stage and before I know it I am in the wings, the audience are sitting down and I am beginning my one hour slot.

After the show, I had two commitments; a photocall and a cabaret, both to help me promote Dumbstruck. I met the four photographers, who were all very nice and each left at a different time when they got the shot they needed. To end the day I performed at the cabaret on Market Street. Afterwards a girl asked for one of my flyers and I accidentally pulled out a prop from show along with it, a condom (in the packet) was stuck to the flyer. I tried to explain what had happened over the loud music in the bar, failing that, I awkwardly left, and rode away on my unicycle.

Sam Goodburn: Dumbstruck (Presented by Underbelly and Sam Goodburn)

Underbelly Cowgate (Belly Button), 66 Cowgate, Edinburgh, EH1 1JX

Thursday 3rd - Sunday 27th August 2017 (not 14th), 14:40

Photo credit: Craig Kirkwood