Introduce yourself, please.
Hello, my name is Darryl and I’m a comedian and clown that likes to make folks laugh without saying a word. I have a brain that thinks in cartoons and I love making those cartoons come to life on the stage. I’ve had a life of constant intrigue, I’m always curious about how things work and if I’m bad at something then I’m drawn to do it.
How would you pitch your show to someone who never misses Wimbledon?
The show is a lot like a tennis game really, if you take it at face value, it’s entertaining and sometimes surprising. There are characters you’ll get behind more than others you’ll love to hate. Just like Wimbledon, the audience is a massive part of the experience, without them it’s just a knock about in the park.
And how would you pitch it to someone who is more Womble than tennis fan?
Well, like a wobble, I can’t help but notice how useful someone else’s trash could be! The show is full of fun ways to repurpose objects that are usually used in a very specific way. So if you want to see objects come to life, love a bit of community spirit and want to spend an evening having a laugh, then I think you’ll have a nice time at my show.
How does this compare to your other work?
It’s in a similar world. My main focus is humour and making folks laugh by using everyday objects and creating routines to great music that don’t need a single word in them to get a big laugh.
I also use audience participation in this show, but I only bring folks up that want to be onstage. I have consent modules built into every routine so people have the opportunity to say no and it’s respected. Believe me, it’s very obvious onstage who does and doesn’t want to come up to play. I want folks to leave feeling like the star of the show, not the butt of the joke.
Is clowning making a comeback?
In some ways, yes. I think the shift from the clown people imagine in their heads as the scary white-faced traditional clown is changing, and the form of clown is being realised to be a wide range of performance styles just like the genres of music and comedy. The same way circus isn’t animals anymore and it’s more akin to contemporary dance or extreme sports depending on how it’s presented.
But I don’t think clown has ever gone away, tbh. It’s been in our culture forever, and even though they haven’t always worn red noses, people are drawn to clowns. We love folks that wear their heart on their sleeve and aren’t afraid to share that with us.
I think it’s really exciting seeing so many folks performing in this way nowadays. There are some really great shows out there.
What is your favourite part of the show?
I love the finale so much. It’s so dumb, and I still can’t believe it gets the reaction it does! I think coming from a circus background, it’s very natural for me to save the best trick or bit till last, and this is often where the show creation starts. What’s the final image I want folks to walk away remembering?
Why the Edinburgh Fringe?
I was drawn to the fringe about 13 years ago and arrived as a circus performer and left being so inspired by so many other art forms. It’s the best arts university course in the world and it’s only one month long! I genuinely believe you learn more in a month at Edinburgh about live performance than you do at any university course.
I love the weather, the architecture, the food, and the people; it’s one of my favourite cities in the world! I love seeing all my friends here and being exposed to so many shows that I wouldn’t normally get to see!
What was your inspiration for the show?
Like most of my work, I just started daydreaming about routines I could make around tennis. My previous show, it wasn’t clear who or what I was. So I wanted to plant myself in a recognisable world and present a series of essentially physical cartoon sketches around the world of tennis. I used to play tennis as a kid, so it felt like a very comfortable place to play for my second show.
Where else can we see you?
I’m doing my family show, Darryl J Carrington presents Out of the Box at Underbelly George Square Gardens, 13:20 the wee coo. And I’m popping up in a few mixed bill cabaret and comedy shows; find out where and when on my Instagram or website.
Strawberry or Cream?
Cream
Red Noses or Tennis Balls?
Tennis balls
Truth or Beauty?
Truth is beauty.
