EDINBURGH 2019: James Barr Q&A

JAMES BARR is best known as the star of applauded podcast A Gay and a Non-Gay (which is also playing Edinburgh for the last week of the Fringe). Painfully relatable and delectably funny, his Edinburgh Fringe show THIRST TRAP sees him IRL tinder-swipes his way through the audience whilst dressed as an avocado. Ahead of that, he had a chat with us at BroadwayWorld.

Tell us a bit about Thirst Trap.

Well I don't want to trigger myself, but I'm very recently single *downs wine*, and after a very exhausting breakup *downs box of wine* I've realised that, like Adele, I'm at my most creative when I'm drunk single. 2019 dating is a disaster, can I get an amen? I've tried the dating apps, I've tried a blind date, and if I'm honest I've basically tried it on with everyone... so I've decided to take my slutting to the next level and force an audience to date me.

Thirst Trap dives deep on where I'm going wrong and the impact that our search for 'The One' could be having on our mental health. Spoiler alert: Ultimately the show advocates that our best and most fulfilling relationship is with ourselves - it just gets a bit desperate along the way.

So, um, what *is* a thirst trap?
The urban dictionary describes a 'Thirst Trap' as "a picture used to intentionally create attention or "thirst"...

It's that friend you follow who's always posting provocative pics on Instagram with needy captions like "Hey guys, are these shorts too tight? ?"... Though to be honest I think we're all 'Thirst Traps'. The other day I posted a 'gym progress' pic, not because I've made any progress at all, but because I wanted the attention. Your Mum posted an Ice Bucket challenge on her Facebook to help raise money for people with 'amyotrophic lateral sclerosis', or maybe just did it for the pokes? We're all attention-seeking all of the time. We're all Thirst Traps.

Why bring it to Edinburgh?

Edinburgh is a hotbed of hot guys. Plus, I'm ginger and half Scottish and I'm hoping to meet my other half at the Fringe! I genuinely put on this show because I'd had enough of dating apps and wanted to try something new, but I'm also ready to have a lot of fun! There are so many things I can't joke about on TV or Radio, and if I'm honest, it's basically just an excuse to have a picture of my face up all over Edinburgh.

How involved do the audience get in the show?

As involved as they like ;)! I enjoy chatting to everyone and involving them in the show. I also take some of the audience on speed dates and apart from the brutality of swiping in real life, as if we were on Tinder, it's actually a really safe and inclusive space. It's mainly an opportunity to work out why I'm so bad at dating.

And you're doing a podcast recording in Edinburgh too?

YASSSS! My award-winning comedy podcast A Gay and A NonGay returns to the Fringe for a nine-night run featuring some very special guests from both the Gay and NonGay comedy scene! If you haven't heard us yet, our podcast came about when my best mate moved abroad and asked me to look after her boyfriend. I've had to educate Dan (the NonGay) on the amount of admin involved in gay sex, he's explained that liking metal music also makes him a member of a minority group (!) ?, and ultimately we've become really close friends - despite having literally nothing in common.

James Barr: Thirst Trap is at Edinburgh Festival Fringe from 1st-25th August (not 12th). Tickets and more information: https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/james-barr-thirst-trap

Photo credit: Corinne Cumming

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