Tim Reeves has been nominated for a Malcolm Hardee Award for his brilliant spoof Fringe programme – full of non existent shows by non existent performers.
His real show Fish Cake, at PBH’s Free Fringe is about why he prefers animals to people, and features bees, rabbits and a kangaroo. He says he would rather no one came – but he did agree to answer questions for Entertainment Now. Frankly, we’ve never seen anything like it.
Tell us about your show. Why should we go and see it?
Surreal, anxious, nonsense stand-up. Topics covered include limescale, bees, quiche, Calpol and a fish cake. Please don’t come along – the show doesn’t really work when people watch.
What makes you laugh?
Meat.
What three words best describe your performance style – and why?
Scared Victorian child. Oliver Twist is a big influence.
Do you have nerves about going on stage and how do you cope with them.
Big time. I drink six pints of milk and set off some illegal fireworks in the toilet.
What’s your idea of a perfect Fringe feast and where will you eat it?
Egg (unspecified), midday Saturday on the Royal Mile.
How will your audience think/feel differently after an hour in your company?
Ideally, they won’t spend any time in my company. If people insist on coming, they may have some interesting and unusual thoughts and feelings.
When did you first realise you were born to be on stage?
I was not born to be on stage. I don’t like being on stage, and I wasn’t a massive fan of being born.
Why do you think Edinburgh Fringe is so important to performers and artists around the world?
The Edinburgh Festival Fringe (also referred to as the Edinburgh Fringe, the Fringe or the Edinburgh Fringe Festival) is the world’s largest performance arts festival, which in 2024 spanned 25 days and featured more than 51,446 scheduled performances of 3,317 different shows across 262 venues from 58 different countries. Of those shows, the largest section was comedy, representing almost 40 per cent of shows, followed by theatre, which was 26.6 per cent of shows.
How do you plan to relax and enjoy the city when you’re not performing.
I like to flyer locals on their way to work.
Who is your showbiz idol and why.
Rick Stein – fish chef to the stars, and never far from my thoughts. It’s nice to have someone on TV who knows loads about fish.
What is your idea of a perfect Fringe moment?
No mic, no stage, no audience. Thank you.
Tim Reeves: Fish Cake, 23.00 PBH’s Free Fringe, Hot Toddy, Jeffrey Street, until August 25
https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/tim-reeves-fish-cake