EDINBURGH 2022: Christian Brighty Q&A

BWW catches up with Christian Brighty to chat about bringing Playboy to the 2022 Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

Tell us a bit about Playboy.

What, you mean 'Christian Brighty: Playboy', the greatest narrative clown show about period dramas ever written? MAY I? Playboy is, in my humble opinion, the greatest narrative clown show about period dramas ever written. It's a saucy and silly swoonfest, poking a stick at all the silly men in Bridgerton, Pride & Prejudice and Poldark. And then using that same stick to hit all the men alive now, who behave even worse than they did, but don't have the decency to wear nice clothes and knee high boots.

Why bring it to Edinburgh?

Oh, you've got to! It's the "Hello Comedy Industry, I've arrived!" thing to do. I've been a coward for years, putting off my debut like some namby pamby square, wanting to be 'ready' and impress all the hot industry chicks and roosters. But it's such a silly game! I'm waiting for someone this year to go "oh you should have waited till next year". Reckon it'll be by day 2. But I know people who took solo shows far too early from an industry perspective, who now have wonderful careers in comedy, and blossomed artistically by dint of the freedom to not chase the industry. You can wait forever to be 'ready'. But I'm here now. I've made a really good show. It's time to come to Edinburgh!

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

Ah sorry, I've just seen 'fringe' written down, and it really looks like it's pronounced "Fring-Guh". And a fringguh sounds horrible. What do you think a fringguh is? It can't be good. I expect the fringguh is this a hideous, gangrenous creature. Covered in cigarette butts and plastic cups, waiting for me behind some bins on Niddry Street. The reanimated vomit of 1000 Hive-attending children. That's what I expect from the fringguh. This silly answer is a way of avoiding thinking about the actual fringe, which I am just really hoping, with Covid, high landlord prices, and raising inflation, is less hideous than the fringguh.

Where else might we know you from?

I was on The Really Wild Show when I was 8 years old, and was ridiculed by Nick Baker for mixing up a harvestman with a spider. He really went for it, getting the children to laugh along as well, even the crew. In my defence, they're really f-ing similar. Two years ago I went to a free talk he did near - but crucially not in - the Natural History Museum. I was the only one in the audience, and it was an hour of him describing a trip to Peru trying to find a rare mouse. He never found it. Quite glad he put me off the whole filming the natural world thing.

I'm also on TikTok (@brightybuoy).

Who would you like to come and see Playboy?

Anyone who likes period dramas, but who was never totally convinced that the male love interest were good people.

Photo Credit: Ben Meadows

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