EDINBURGH 2017: BWW Q&A- Jem Brookes
By: Natalie O'Donoghue Jul. 06, 2017
Tell us a bit about Pull Yourself Together.
Pull Yourself Together is a new stand-up comedy show at the Edinburgh Fringe. Last year I didn't have a great year and was dealing with the worst depression I have had in over 20 years. I didn't go to the festival for the first time since 2009.
Towards the end of the year the depression lifted as soon as it came and it got me thinking that this is something I have never talked about, despite it being a part of my life for over 20 years. So I made the decision to address the issue in a brutally honest, and hopefully funny, show to share with other people how I have dealt with it (or not).
Are you looking forward to bringing it to an Edinburgh audience?
Yes, after missing last year's festival it will be good to be back. It's not the same not going up in August, and I can't imagine not being there for another year. I went to university here too, so it is like a second home anyway, I know the place inside out.
What sets it apart from other shows at the festival?
The show is a unique story about a topic that is very personal to me. Although shows dealing with these types of issues have become more common in the last few years, which is a really good thing, because it means that people are talking about these topics, there won't be anything like it on the fringe. Hopefully the warts-and-all portrayal will give it a uniquely honest angle.
Who would you recommend comes to see you?
This show is for anyone that has had similar issues, anybody that knows somebody that is dealing with something similar, or for anybody that has wandered in off the street and has no idea what the show is all about, because there's laughs there all the way through and hopefully something interesting to say. Come. You'll enjoy it.
What do you hope audiences take away from the show?
I would hope that people take away a positive message from the show, that it gets people talking about a subject that has for too long been a "taboo", and the honesty within the show may just help somebody else that perhaps is struggling in their own way. Most of all though, I hope they have a good time and a laugh, because it is a comedy show after all!
Timings and ticket information for Jem Brookes: Pull Yourself Together are available o the edfringe website.
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