An Englishman, an Irishman and a Scotsman walk on to a stage...
All jokes aside, Adelaide Fringe Festival will play host to three UK comedians performing as part of the 'Best of Edinburgh Fest' show. An annual favourite at the Fringe, this year's 'Best of Edinburgh Fest' will feature Danny O'Brien (Ireland), Stuart Mitchell (Scotland), and Somalian-born Prince Abdi (Britain) flexing their comedic muscles.
This hilarious trio sat down with Scenestr to talk comedy, Adelaide Fringe and who has the best hecklers.
Stuart MitchellWhat got you all into comedy?
Prince Abdi: For me, it was the fame. The bling, yachts, mansions etc...
Danny O'Brien: I've always loved and watched comedy relentlessly since I was a kid but whilst I working at The Melbourne Comedy Festival eight years ago and seeing countless shows is what gave me the final push to do it myself. When I got back to my native Ireland I got my first seven minute set together at an open mic night and haven't been off the stage since!
Stuart Mitchell: I always thought I was funny and becoming a comedian has proved how wrong I was. Everyone always says you enter the world of comedy as you had a tragic childhood and got no attention as a kid. I am no exception.
Danny O'BrienAny aspects of the comedy world that you don't like?
PA: The free gifts that are bombarded on me on day to day basis. I say, "please stop".
DO: Comedy is a tough and highly competitive business, every career world has its ups and downs, sometimes you question your life choices whilst driving at 2am on a Saturday night in the middle of nowhere after a tough gig and listening to Adele on a loop...that can be bleak..but theres nothing else I'd rather be doing.
SM: It can be very lonely. I once gigged to over 1,800 people in Glasgow and then went back to my flat and sat on my own. It was the strangest experience. And the pay isn’t always great – especially for newspaper Q&A’s.
Prince Abdi © Steve UllathorneIn your own words, what are each of you going to be bringing to Australian audiences?
PA: I think in my past life, I was an Aussie so the connection will be there.
DO: I'll be bringing the noise. *puts on sunglasses and walks away* In all seriousness I think Aussies are great audience members and are never too afraid to laugh at themselves so I'll be bringing them an energetic, anecdotal, observational comedic Irish angle on the world; I'm super excited to be doing this show.
SM: I like to share stories and experiences from my life in Scotland. I spend a long time carefully crafting jokes so I am excited to share them with the people of Adelaide.
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You are being billed as the 'Best of Edinburgh Fest'. Who do you think were the best comedians of last year's Edinburgh Fringe?
PA: Just the three of us.
DO: I saw Australia's very own Sam Simmons perform his show 'Spaghetti for Breakfast' and it blew me away, it was hilarious-complete manic mayhem yet incredibly well executed! David O' Doherty's show was immense last year too as was sketch group Foil, Arm's and Hog, I was lucky to have seen and performed with dozens of amazing acts last year at the Edinburgh Fringe but the above three really stuck out for me.
SM: Richard Gadd. His shows are always absolutely mental and insane but very funny. When was the last time you laughed out loud?
PA: I saw a guy get pulled over recently in London and he was clearly very pissed. The police handed him over a breathalyser and he mistook it for a drink.
DO: Yesterday, when my Mother referred to dipping in and out of the sea as 'tea-bagging'.
SM: I have just opened my recent gas and electricity bill.
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What is the strangest or most memorable heckle you have received at a show?
PA: There was a time where a guy in the audience just kept saying 'no' throughout my entire set. DO: A couple once had a massive row in the front row in the middle of my set. The guy stormed off and the woman followed but instead of catching up with him, she threw her glass at him which successfully smashed off the back of his head. Police were called and the woman had to be held back by a gaggle of comics; not so much a heckle as a scene from a Western but it was memorable none the less.
SM: I did a prison gig before Christmas and someone shouted ‘you look a right knob in that Rudolf jumper!’, to which I replied: ‘I don’t know what you are all talking about... you are all wearing the same t-shirts!’.
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Who are your favourite comedians?
PA: Dave Chappelle, Chris Rock, Bill Burr, Louis CK, Steve Hughes, Richard Pryor, George Carlin.
DO: Bill Burr and Demetri Martin would be two personal favourites of mine.
SM: My new favourite is Noel Fielding. He has a completely different style to me but I love him. I am also a huge fan of Amy Schumer (I included one male and one female for diversity purposes).
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Are there lines in your comedy that you don't cross?
PA: Nope! No one is safe!
DO: Not really. Comedy is subjective; if I find something funny, I’ll say it!
SM: I don’t swear in my set. It’s a personal choice and if people don’t like it they can fuck off. On a serious note all my material is mostly clean and that really reflects who I am.
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Any jokes about Australia you care to share?
PA: Nope.
DO: Loads! But I'm saving them for the tour, so your readers will just have to come see our awesome show to hear them! However, one thing I will be discussing is my fear of holding a koala bear since I found out that loads of them carry chlamydia! And who would believe you if you said thats how you got it?
SM: I did have a great joke about a boomerang but I can’t remember it. It will come back to me.
Prince Abdi, Danny O'Brien and Stuart Mitchell perform 'Best Of The Edinburgh Fest' at Garden Of Unearthly Delights as part of Adelaide Fringe Festival from 12 Feb-13 Mar.
