What’s in a name? Just a few stars between comics
Looks at the highs, the lows and the whoas of comedy show titles at the Fringe
The Very Best Of Belinda Carlisle, which, spoiler alert, has nothing to do with the 1980s solo success of the songstress, even at her very best.
“It was either that, or go for the classic Edinburgh Fringe punbased title, like Glenneth Paltrow, Glenntanamoore Bay, or Make America Great Aglenn,” says Moore, who cannot even hum Heaven Is A Place on Earth. “Everyone has to submit their show titles months before the Fringe, so some people go for something vague. I decided to bite the bullet and go for the most specific show title I possible could.
“My dream is that this will start a trend of shows being named about very specific things that they couldn’t possibly be about. What a waking nightmare the Fringe guide would be to peruse.”
Was he not advised against the move ? “The company doing my PR won’t let me hear the end of it.” he says. “I mean, fair enough – they’re specifically the only victims of this otherwise victimless crime.”
That would be Impressive PR, whose boss, Mel Brown, says: “I wouldn’t be doing my job if I didn’t point out that he is definitely setting himself up for… well… you know… it’s not at all about Belinda Carlisle!” She shrugs an experienced shrug. “But he’s the creative…”
Misleading is one thing in a title (Clusterf*** is just a bit of mild comedy, The Worst Show on the Fringe showcases some excellent comics) but downright nasty is another. Loud outrage met the (actually rather good) 2008 musical Kiddyfiddler on the Roof and last year Adam Kay invited us to watch him Fingering A Minor on the Piano. Again, the title predated the writing of the show.
“I assumed at the time that my show would end up being my normal lowest-common-denominator smut so it would all fit,” says Kay. “Unfortunately the show ended up being a harrowing polemic about the NHS, so it made no sense whatsoever.”
The deliberately provocative title is always a calculated risk.
Although Kay claims his title was “entirely uncalculated and illthought-out, the show is back this year, and he does admit that “one benefit was that last year I was on immediately after Nicholas Parsons, and it meant that none of his oxygen-tank-dependent audience decided to make an evening of it”. “But I heard ‘I came because of the title’ and ‘I would have come but the title put me off ’ in equal measures.” says Kay. “So it was all a waste of f***ing time really.”
But while Carlisle does not even get a mention from Moore, and Kay’s onstage behaviour is entirely beyond reproach, James Nokise’s show Britain, Let’s Talk About the Golliwogs is very much about the symbolism of golliwogs, which, one might guess, has already occasioned some excitement amongst the chatterati.“oh yes, but weirdly only from Caucasian people,” says Nokise. “I’ve actually got stories in the show about people trying to tell me it’s not the doll but the name that’s offensive. We still openly sell them in New Zealand, and they’re made in Australia so in a way, the show’s about lip service PC attitudes.”
Of course, not everyone sets out to shock. The wildly – and usually hopelessly – optimistic title is also popular with comics. “✪✪✪✪✪ The Scotsman”, for example. This year we look forward to seeing Mark Forward Wins All The Awards, Trevor Feelgood: Sold Out (But Some Tickets Still Available) and Ben Fogg: How I Won Best Newcomer 2017. Or perhaps you will be more drawn to the self-deprecating (Andrew Silverwood is a Self Absorbed Tw*t)?
On the other hand, one can barely look at the title of Phil Nichol’s without pupils constricting and blood pressure rising. It pains me to write it. Your Wrong. Ouch. Doesn’t bother Nichol, however. “Any great show title should be compelling and contentious,” he says. “Ideally, it will capture your attention, if not your imagination. This simple ‘ignorant’ spelling mistake winds people up and draws attention to their intolerance. My new show is an intolerant admonishment of blind faith, superstition and religious intolerance. The title’s simple complexity summarises the pointlessness of arguing the pointless. We all have our wrongs. Your wrong is that you think you can only spell your wrong ‘you’re wrong’.” Of course, he’s wrong. But I will go and see the show.
Worst case scenario is that, just when you have found that irresistible title, things get legal. Never rule out the chance of a copyright holder having a total sense of humour bypass when it comes to their property. The cast of Five Go Off On One got into awfully hot water with Hachette, holder of the rights to Enid Blyton’s Famous Five books. Hachette were, they said, worried the title was “likely to mislead customers into believing your production … is endorsed by us”. Interested audiences will find the show under Four Go Off on One! A Jolly Good Romp Through Childhood.
The bottom line is that, while a title might get someone into a show, it will not keep them there.