JASON Byrne
Going to see a Jason Byrne show at the Edinburgh Fringe is a rites of passage for any comedy fan…He’s been performing on those hallowed grounds since 1996, and people often ask him why he always comes back. He holds a remarkable record, he’s sold the greatest number of tickets of any act that’s ever been there, ever in the history of the festival, he describes it like collecting Pokemon cards for nearly 28 years! We spent the morning at the Links playing pitch and putt and finding out more about this festival legend.
This Fringe sees Jason returning to the festival with literally no show, he is the king of audience participation ( there is a warning as you enter the theatre) Brave souls sit on the front row with anticipation. He creates all the laughs out of the people and situations he finds in the room, he is the puppet master of crowd manipulation. Never malicious just an hour of sheer delight and a lot of love for the people who
join in. At one point the audience is singing the 1980's classic Flake TV ad back at him, with warm smiles and a nostalgic tug at the heart strings. He does a seriously good impression of 'that' man on the Waltzers, while whirling around the stage. For a man with 6 heart stents it’s a physical performance that takes no prisoners. Yet, it is these precious memories and pop culture references that make the audience so willing to participate.
He was always a comedy fan “ First of all when I was a kid, there was no books, there was no education that way, we watched the telly and my dad made us watch you know, Tommy Cooper, Spike Milligan, Fawlty Towers, Kenny Everett , Dick Emery, like all these people. So, Tommy Cooper was my favourite, he always had a lot of props, so when I did my first stand up, I had loads of props”
Coopers’ comedy genius, the chaos that he would create on stage radiates in Byrne’s show. One minute there’s a man wearing a cloud on his head while ordering his dinner as the weather, while someone else is pretending to be another weather phenomenon, stood next to him, trying not to laugh. Byrne is fine-tuned into the audience, and he can weave an entire backstory for a person with the odd word or mumble from the front row.
Byrne’s legacy at the Fringe will continue, he makes himself at home when in Edinburgh. It’s a marathon not a sprint but Jason is often seen performing in other shows throughout the month of August as well as his own. His experience, knowledge of the city and expertise at pitch and putt make him a honouree Scot while he’s in Edinburgh. We ask what his next projects are “ I’m doing my dads play that I’ve written. I play him and he tells funny stories, all based in his shed. Just all his life advice. He use to say “ You only get so many heartbeats in a life time” and that’s it really do a bit of performing in December and then we just start it all over again!"
If you fancy a giggle follow Jason @ thejasonbyrne
We highly recommend it!
