EDINBURGH 2018: BWW Q&A- Ian Smith

BWW catches up with Ian Smith to chat about bringing Craft to the 2018 Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

Tell us a bit about Craft.

Craft is my fifth solo show - it's about confidence and indecision. Also, due to an issue with the listings, I am obligated to include some obscure subcategories in the show. One of them is craft - but luckily I'm an origami whizz.

This is your fifth Edinburgh hour- why wait so long to show off your origami?!

Three reasons - 1. I'm not actually very good at origami and don't really have an interest in it. 2. When I got my TV licence in the post this year, there were instructions on how to turn it into an origami swan, which I thought was (and I don't think I'm alone with this) weird. 3. This whole subcategory situation has left me with an obligation to include craft. I also won't be inside the venue for the whole show.

Do you think you know what to expect from the festival now?

It almost always happens in August, although sometimes it will sneak into July a little bit. Very crafty. I feel like I know what to expect a bit more now - the only evidence I'm using for this is that last year I had a coat in my bag at all times, even if it was baking hot. The weather can always change. If the weather were a person, it's catchphrase would be, 'I'll change when I want, the seasons are just a f-ing guideline'.

Are there any other shows you're hoping to see in Edinburgh?

Nick Mohammed's Mr Swallow is an incredible character and I always look forward to seeing his shows. I'm a huge fan of The Pin as well and they're back after a few years off the Fringe. George Lewis great too, but we're on at the same time.

What are your plans for after the Fringe?

I'm going to Google dungarees and see if they exist, if not, I think I might have invented a cool fashion item - they're like trousers, but also like a sort of work uniform. My concern is that the name 'dungarees' doesn't sound like the sort of thing I would call them, so they might already be a thing that I've seen around.

I would call them either hanging jeans or utility slacks.

See Ian Smith: Craft at the Underbelly throughout the Edinburgh Festival Fringe from 1st - 26th August. For tickets visitwww.edfringe.com

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