BWW catches up with Ali Brice to chat about bringing I Tried To Be Funny, But You Weren't Looking to the 2022 Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
Tell us a bit about I Tried To Be Funny But You Weren't Listening.
My show is about therapy, friends and sausages. Three very important things.
It begins with a very dark time and how I approach finding joy in life after almost losing
it. It is a very silly, very positive, very funny show with a serious message. While there
are heavy themes, they are treated with a very light touch.
This show feel like the culmination of years of work where I have tried to marry the silly
with serious, but didn't get the balance right. With I Tried To Be Funny, But You Weren't
Looking I have got the balance just right and can't wait for people to see it.
Why did you want to tell this story?
Talking about how we feel - how we really feel - is so, so important. There is no shame
in feeling low, depressed or that you can't cope. And there is no shame in seeking help.
Therapy is one of the best things I have ever done. It was life changing and had made
my life so much better. I loved it.
I'm hoping that by telling my story I might reach someone who feels how I felt, who is
dealing with the same things I was dealing with, who might hear it and talk to someone,
seek help or take action. And not have to go through what I went through.
If just one person sees the show and it makes a difference in their life, it will have been
worth it.
Who do you hope comes to see your show?
I'd love it if my therapist came to the show. I'd like him to see how much better I am
and the lasting impact he has had on my life. But I would like it if he came in disguise.
I'd also like Bruce Deassau from the Evening Standard to come to my show. I have been
inviting him for years.
What do you hope audiences take away from it?
I hope everyone signs up for therapy. Not really. Although I do hope that if someone is
on the fence about it, it might make them give it a go. I want to leave people feeling really positive and more open to talking about difficult things. If it sparks one conversation that helps someone, that would be amazing.
What are the advantages to performing as part of PBH's Free Fringe?
I leave the festival without debt. The Free Fringe is completely free. It's incredible.
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Photo credit: Miranda Holms
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