Dr Oliver Double, Reader in Drama within the School of Arts and Head of the Performance and Theatre Research Cluster, has released the latest episode of the podcast series ‘A History of Comedy in Several Objects’.
In the podcast series, Olly examines objects from Kent’s British Stand-Up Comedy Archive alongside Project Archivist Elspeth Millar.
In the latest instalment, Olly and Elspeth examine the correspondence relating to a run of shows from the 1983 Edinburgh Fringe, featuring Rik Mayall, Andy de la Tour and Ben Elton.
The papers reveal the early days of stand-up comedy at the Edinburgh Fringe. ‘In 1983 stand up at the Fringe was quite a new thing,’ explains Olly, ‘arguably the first uncontested (as it were) stand up show would have been Late Night Alternative with Alexei Sayle and Tony Allen. By ’83 there were a few shows, but literally only a few stand up shows at the Fringe.’
The podcast also features exclusive interviews with writer Jenny Lecoat, actor and comedian Andy de la Tour and the legendary writer and comedian Ben Elton.
The podcast is free to download and is available here:
https://play.acast.com/s/ahistoryofcomedypodcast/episode-35-rik-ben-and-andy-at-the-edinburgh-fring