EDINBURGH 2018: BWW Q&A- George Rigden

BWW catches up with George Rigden to chat about bringing George-ous to the 2018 Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

Tell us a bit about George-ous.

It's my debut show and it's a deeply personal, heavily interactive & musical satire about the issues surrounding mens mental health and toxic masculinity, told through the prism of a persona who defiantly believes himself to be an irresistible player despite the fact that from everything he does and says, it's clear that his life is actually falling apart. I promise it's significantly funnier than it sounds.

Why make it into an Edinburgh show?

As a comedy fan I'm drawn to shows and acts who draw on life-experience - good and bad - to make people laugh. I live for that shit and after recent events in my life, it would be disingenuous of me to do otherwise. Plus, I think toxic masculinity is rightly a very prominent and present issue that needs addressing in the current climate and while navigating that for laughs is tricky, I've relished the challenge.

Having performed at the Fringe before do you think you know what to expect from the festival?

Intense exhaustion and seeing people you love and respect at their very best and very worst.

Who would you recommend comes to see George-ous?

Open-minded people with a firm understanding and appreciation of irony, fans of musical comedy and up for more than a little interaction. Or anyone willing to buy a ticket - beggars can't be choosers.

Are there any other shows you're hoping to catch in Edinburgh?

Loads, same every year - I always make a point of catching Jordan Brookes & Mat Ewins, both consistently inventive and hilarious and, for my money, the finest comics of their generation. It's also an insanely strong year for debut shows and a lot of my favourite acts and people are doing their first hour - Jake Lambert, Sarah Keyworth, Maisie Adam, Ben Pope - that's just scratching the surface of excellent acts debuting but those are the 4 I'm most excited for, they're all so so funny.

https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/george-rigden-george-ous