Words by Susan Ford
Who could forget the big screen, big voice and big belly laughs that
David Trent brought to the third Punchline gala in Edinburgh? His performance at Punchline left him in our hearts forever as one of our favourite comedians, and we are really excited to see him back at this year’s Fringe with a full hour long show. David Trent’s 2014 show is entitled ‘David Trent Live at the Pleasance Courtyard’ which gives absolutely nothing away about what we can expect from it; which is why it was such a pleasure to catch up with him on the lead up to this year’s festival.
Hello David Trent, how are you?
Hello. I am very well thank you.
Where will people recognise your name from?
I’m still a very small concern – they will most likely recognise my name from the guy off the office. I recently had an email from a promoter who needed to postpone the David Brent show. Insulting. David Brent is a horrible little man who is too old for his dreams and is really unfunny.
How excited about performing at this year’s Edinburgh Fringe are you?
Very excited. I’ve got a great show, and a great venue, and great friends, and Edinburgh Fringe is a great fringe.
How many times have you performed at the Fringe Festival?
This will be my third show. So two times.
Without giving too much away, what is your show about this year?
I hate trailers. I hate spoilers. I always come across like a sullen angry prick whenever I get asked this question, but I just don’t want to give anything away, I want it to be a surprise. Basically though it’s the closest I’ve got to a straight stand up show, with no underlying theme or learning about myself or coming to terms with a trauma, it’s just an hour of me saying the funniest things I can about things that caught my eye this year, accompanied by my trusty laptop and projector. It’s a lot of fun, I’m really excited about it this year and think it’s my best show yet.
How do you find the Edinburgh Fringe audiences compare to the usual gig crowd?
Generally they are more patient and more comedy literate. Having bought tickets they’ve invested a lot more in the show. I’ve had some of the best shows of my life at Edinburgh, and the show feels like it’s at home at Edinburgh, whereas when I do it outside of Edinburgh it’s never as much fun. Also, one show a year at Edinburgh I get the chance to do my material for an hour to absolute silence. That’s also an interesting experience.
Have you been doing many Fringe previews, and how have they been going?
I’ve been doing plenty of previews. Small audiences but we’ve had a lot of fun –only one bad one. Also I’m doing a lot of this year’s material in my club set – last year I didn’t take the show material out to clubs until after Edinburgh – this year I’m doing it regularly and the show’s a lot stronger for it.
What do you think is the best thing about the Fringe and what are your previous highlights?
The best thing about the Fringe is being able to hang out with all your best buddies all the time. I love it. It’s hard to pick a highlight as it’s all great, but one night I got a free diet coke at a party. That was pretty great.
Who else do you recommend from the Fringe programme this year?
Mark Simmons , Phil Ellis Evelyn Mok (doing the Comedy Reserve), Chris Boyd, Stuart Laws, Gein’s Family Gift Shop, Metcalfe, Acaster, Kumar, Goldsmith, Dommett and go to Forest Fringe – it’s super.
Apart from your solo show, are you involved in any other performances?
YES. I’m doing Dan Atkinson’s Comedy Countdown on 9th August – I did it my last year and it was my favourite thing. I am shit at countdown. On the 12th and 13th there’s a little concert at the Grand called “NICK HELM’S TWO NIGHT GRANDSTAND” but I can neither confirm nor deny rumours that I might be playing a role in that.
David Trent’s new comedy show ‘David Trent Live at the Pleasance Courtyard’ will be at the Edinburgh Fringe from 30th July – 24th August. Buy tickets here.
Punchline 