EDINBURGH 2022: Alasdair Beckett-King Q&A

BWW catches up with Alasdair Beckett-King to chat about bringing Nevermore to the 2022 Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

Tell us a bit about Nevermore.

Nevermore explores my lifelong antipathy for the sea in general, and the North Sea in particular. We can all agree that the sea has had it too easy for too long and it's time someone spoke up. 

But I am not content with simply putting the sea in its place. To me, stand-up comedy is an artform: my oil paints are jokes; my canvas is the audience's ears; my easel is the chairs, probably. I can't guarantee that Nevermore will be a life-changing experience, but I'm confident that the time will pass.

What was the inspiration behind it?

You can't necessarily tell from my accent, but I grew up in County Durham the North-East of England - where the North Sea lives. Most people who meet me assume I'm the lost son of an exiled Scottish aristocrat, so I decided to set the record straight. This show weaves stories from my actual childhood in amongst absolute nonsense from the history of these ever-shrinking British Isles.

Where else might we know you from?

I was lucky enough to do a bit of telly last year, so you might have seen me on a few episodes of Mock the Week. Or, if you're a fan of the information superhighway, you might have seen one of my videos on YouTube or read one of my hilarious opinions on Twitter. If you don't have a TV or a computer, you might have seen me in the stained-glass windows of your local church, or on an illuminated medieval manuscript.

Do you think you know what to expect from the Fringe?

I have a few Edinburghs under my (vegan leather) belt, so I'm approaching the festival with great excitement. Because, you must understand, the memory of pain fades. It fades. That's why people give birth more than once. That's why people keep watching 'After Life'. Two years off have left me vulnerable and succulent, like a newly hatched baby turtle. Come, buy a ticket, watch me crawl across the beach alongside a thousand other turtles hoping not to get twatted by a crab.

What do you hope audiences take away from it?

I'm always looking for the person who really gets it. If my show speaks to just one person, if just one person comes away thinking, "You know what, I am going to become ABK's mysterious benefactor. I shall make a gentleman of this young fellow," it will - from a financial perspective - all have been worth it.

Photo credit: Edward Moore

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