Q&A: EDINBURGH 2024: Bev Gray on BEV'S COMEDY

BWW caught up with Bev Gray about bringing Bev’s Comedy to the 2024 Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

How did you first get involved in the world of comedy?

I was living in New York, writing and pursuing acting, and was frustrated by the audition process. I thought, “This shouldn’t be this hard! I just wish there was a way I could write and then perform my own material.” I was dating my husband at the time and he bought me a stand-up comedy class as a gift. And, at that point, I had already taken acting classes and improv at every place in New York City that offered improv. Honestly, I had never even considered stand-up comedy at that point, but I tried it. The first night I did stand-up, it was terrifying and exhilarating, and I survived it and people laughed. So I kept doing it! Maybe it’s not for everyone, but I love the feeling of making people laugh. 

What made you want to create a tropical comedy show for Scotland?

The vibe in most US comedy clubs is “guy who decorated his parent’s basement.” There’s usually no aesthetics and for some reason, almost always, the colour scheme is black and red. I wanted to put some effort into the show. The Gray tartan is green and pink, so I went with a green and pink theme. And, living in Florida, a tropical theme just made sense! Also, it went along with a warm, happy vibe I wanted to project. I have pink neon signs and tropical plants - I even brought a room spray from Pura Vida Miami because I just assumed the room was going to be a damp mouldy dungeoneous basement. But it’s not, it’s lovely! 

What was the creative process like for Bev’s Comedy?

This show is a lot of not-sexy behind-the-scenes logistics. Finding comedians, booking comedians, ads, promos, contacting sponsors, media, we have swag bags and two sponsors that I am very excited about - Delicious Profanities and Papermints. 

Normally, I am focused on the jokes and the writing and the me part of the show. But for this, I decided to flip the script and focus on the audience, on the comedians, on creating a warm space where both the comedians and audience feel appreciated. So I was very focused on the swag bags, the merch, the marketing, the line-up. But the one part that it turns out I absolutely love is hosting! I get to pop in and out, tell a few jokes and not fret about trying to pack a bunch of jokes in a set amount of time. I can relax and improv a little. Normally, my creative process for stand-up is to focus on jokes and timing, but for the Fringe, my creative process is focusing on being in the moment. 

How do you choose the different acts for the show?

I didn’t meet any of the acts beforehand. Some were recommended by friends, some just reached out to me and some I saw clips online and I reached out to them. It was a variety of ways! My goal was a diverse group of comedians and I feel like I have captured that. 

What is it like bringing Bev’s Comedy up to the Edinburgh Fringe?

A lot of work. Lol! Lots of moving parts. In hindsight, I should have attended the Fringe and just done some spots before putting on a show, but I have a tendency to just jump right into things and figure it out. 

Also, in the midst of the chaos, there’s a lot of love in bringing Bev’s Comedy to Scotland. Cheryl of Delicious Profanities has been amazing, Kelli Reekie is brilliant and is the mastermind behind my social media and helping me with all things Scottish. Derek Douglas, who is my venue contact, has been so helpful and has gone out of his way to help me get everything I need. Everyone with HST who organizes the St. Stephens shows has been delightful. Zoe, who is at the box office at St. Stephens, just has the biggest, kindest smile on her face every day when I walk in. PJ does the lights and sound. He is great. I know everyone is there before I get there and still working every day after I leave, yet they are there every day, each with smiles on their faces and their own amazing glow. Having never been to Scotland before, I have been blown away by the hospitality of everyone I have met. 

What is it like performing comedy in the States versus the UK?

No matter where you perform, every night is a completely different crowd and completely different energy and you have to adjust for that. But the exciting part is I have the freedom to make fun of my own country and tell jokes that may not hit well with a US crowd. Every country has their own cultural references and inside jokes, and my show has been very international. My biggest observation so far is normally, in comedy, specificity is golden, but for an international crowd, maybe not so much. I have to read the room to see if anything I said was not a shared reference. 

One night, another comedian referenced Waitrose, and at the time I thought that was the brand name of boots, like Wellies or Wellington. And a day or two later I looked up and was like, “OMG! Waitrose is a grocery store? She had sex in a grocery store, not in a pair of boots?” Still funny, but totally different joke. 

What do you hope audiences take away from Bev’s Comedy?

Fun. Joy. Happiness. Warmth. That’s all. I want everyone to have fun. I want the comedians to have fun. I want the audience to laugh and enjoy themselves. There are all kinds of comedy, and I love them all. I bring a mom energy to the show with some “momedy,” which definitely wasn’t my intention, but it’s who I am, so the audience will get some mom jokes, mixed in with sets from comedians of all ages, ethnicities, nationalities, life stages and humour types.

This may just be in the US, but I feel like positive energy and comedians encouraging other comedians is underrepresented. It is not the norm. I wanted a show that wasn’t competitive or cringy or mean-spirited comedy, but just “Hey, let’s all be cool and have fun.” If comedians feel like it’s a supportive space, then they can relax and that translates to a more relaxed fun show for the audience. I genuinely have been wowed at the amount of talent I have seen so far at Fringe, and if my show can be a vehicle to promote other comedians and give them an extra boost to their show or their career or their social media, then what a gift to be part of the ride. 

How would you describe Bev’s Comedy in one word?

Brilliant (But only because I love the way people in the UK pronounce this word)!

Bev’s Comedy runs from 2 to 25 August at Saint Stephen's Theatre - The Vault at the 2024 Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

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