The Scotsman

Mhairi Black to join commentato­rs and comics in Edinburgh Fringe line-up

Paisley MP will appear at Masonic Hall during festival

- By BRIAN FERGUSON

Mhairi Black, Britain’s youngest MP, is to make her debut at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

She will be appearing in a Masonic Hall alongside impression­ist Rory Bremner, Scotland football team manager Alex Mcleish, QC Donald Findlay, and the singers KT Tunstall and Barbara Dickson.

Crime writer Val Mcdermid, comic Ruby Wax, tennis coach Judy Murray, football commentato­rarchiemcp­herson, and human rights laywer Aamer Anwar will also be appearing at the George Street venue, which is run by the Stand Comedy Club.

It has organised a series of “in conversati­on” events at the venue, which is closed to the Edinburgh Internatio­nal Book Festival’s site in Charlotte Square, and the literary celebratio­n’s new arena at the west end of George Street, which is expected to return in August.

Also due to appear at the Freemasons Lodge on George Street are the comics Ruby Wax, Jonathan Watson, Arnold Brown and Paul Sinha.

The line-up at the New Town Theatre, as it is known during the Fringe, will include runs by comics Brian “Limmy” Limond, rapper and Poverty Safari authr Darren Mcgarvey and magician and comic Jerry Sadowitz.

Other highlights of The Stand’s programme are expected to include a chat show fronted by comic Miles Jupp, a new one-woman show by singer Michelle Mcmanus and the return of Tony Slattery to the Fringe with a new “all-star improvisat­ion show.” Ms Black was still studying politics and public policy at Glasgow University when she was elected MP for Paisley and Renfrewshi­re South in 2015.

Black, who will be at the New Town Theatre on the festival’s opening weeekend, will be following in the footsteps of Alex Salmond by appearing at the Fringe.

The former First Minister hosted his own cabaret show last year, months after being ousted from Westminste­r.

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“I think people also want to hear politician­s go a bit off-script. Every time people hear politician­s on television orradioitt­endstobea bit sound-bitey”

 ??  ?? Mhairi Black will be appearing in a Masonic Hall alongside impression­ist Rory Bremner, Scotland football team manager Alex Mcleish and QC Donald Findlay
Mhairi Black will be appearing in a Masonic Hall alongside impression­ist Rory Bremner, Scotland football team manager Alex Mcleish and QC Donald Findlay

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