Writer/performerAidan Pittman joins us as part of his planning for the Edinburgh Fringe, where his shoe Dr Dolittle Kills A Man opens tomorrow.
We are especially, if dubiously, privileged to receive an exclusive visit from Dr Dolittle himself – read on to hear from both creator and creation!
“You’ve seen him on Countryfile, Blue Peter and that episode of Springwatch that the BBC have tried to scrub (scrub!) from the internet.
Now, join Dr John Dolittle, PhD (yours truly and the very same), as he thrills with an animal adventure from yesteryear – before the fame, before the fortune, before they took away his OBE.”
Where: Underbelly, Cowgate
When: 1-11, 13-25 Aug
Ticket link: https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/dr-dolittle-kills-a-man-and-reads-extracts-from-his-new-book
What are you looking forward to the most at Edinburgh Fringe?
Aidan:
I’m unbelievably excited to be back at the Fringe, and I cannot wait to see some incredible shows that I’ve seen work-in-progress versions of, or heard great things about: Will BF, Lil Wenker, Mr. Cardboard, Chris East, Alex Franklin, Snake Boy, and Lorna Rose Treen all have new shows that I’m champing at the bit to see!
And I’ll definitely be rewatching Late Night with Terry Wogan and Andrew Doherty’s Gay Witch Sex Cult which are the funniest shows I have seen in a long time.
But look at me, promoting other people’s shows before I’ve had a chance to bang on about mine!…
Dr Dolittle:
In 1997 I was banned from Edinburgh Zoo by the local council.
This was a pure miscarriage of justice because there weren’t any actual bylaws prohibiting me from establishing a 24-hour Casino staffed by bonobos and using an armadillo as a roulette wheel.
I will therefore be spending most of my time during the Fringe beseeching unbribable lawmakers to change their sordid minds, and clear my beautiful name.
But when I get a spare minute, you’ll probably find me promoting my new book Dr Dolittle Has the Time of His Life and/or sucking down chili-dogs.
Tell me about Dr Dolittle Kills A Man. It’s described as alternative character comedy and has a very funny trailer. What’s it all about?
Aidan:
The show is a new comedy caper brimming with gags, original music, animations and (patent-pending) Animal-tronics.
It stars Dr John Dolittle PhD, who’s launching his new memoir in a desperate attempt to repair his legacy – before the show transforms into a romping adventure, with the faintest whiff of Indiana Jones.
Expect incredible animaltronic and audio-visual surprises (devised by my co-creator on the show, the endlessly talented [and patient] Hudson Hughes).
As well as a smorgasbord of jokes that will delight at least three of your senses (guess which- it’s not the ones you think!), as Dr Dolittle travels around the globe in search for a legendary ruby, and tries to escape his questionable past!
Dr Dolittle:
I wanted to treat my fans to something dare-I-say-it-yes-I-do special.
So I felt it was high time to sell them my memories in paper-format, whilst at the same time thrilling them with an animal adventure from yesteryear, or possibly thiseryear – before the fame, before the fortune, and before they took away my OBE.
I was actually just talking to Eric Morecambe about this sixty-seven years ago, during a fundraising event to try and finally get a lion into every state school (or something like that, the late-50s are all a bit of a blur, what with the air quality at the time).
I said “Eric, what do the people of the United Kingdom really want?” And he looked me dead in the eye and said “Huge green books with animal stories in them” – and that really stuck with me.
The musical of Dr Dolittle and his knack of talking to the animals is a real earworm for many of us. Can we expect a hit of a song from you?
Aidan:
Isn’t it just! The original Dr Dolittle soundtrack is a triumph, and “Talk to the Animals” remains the greatest song about talking to animals ever written (in my humble opinion). But we’re going to give it a run for its money!
The fabulous Robbie George has composed a whole score of original music for the show, including a brilliant intro song, performed by the wonderful Holly Spillar – which audiences will not be able to stop humming (until I make them because it’s distracting when I’m performing).
Dr Dolittle:
Ah funny you should say “real earworm”, because in 1953 I actually bought a worm from the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul and inserted it into my brain via my ear.
I did so because a very creepy stall keeper said that he had a worm that would allow me to see into the future. Obviously I suspected that this was some sort of scam, so I asked the worm if this was true and he said “yes it was”…
I shouldn’t say too much more, because this is actually a story I regale during the show – I honestly cannot believe the odds that you genuinely, by complete chance, used the term “earworm” in your fine question.
Was this character fun to create, and where did the idea come from?
Aidan:
It’s been the most fun I’ve ever had creating a character.
There are so many sources of jokes to draw on after building up ideas for Dolittle, from his legacy deterioration, his relatively successful TV career, to his animal escapades, and the many real already existing Dr Dolittle films and book series.
It’s hard to know where the original idea for the character came from, but my absolute childhood-love of the 1967 Rex Harrison film version, and the scientific field of zoology might have a little something to do with it.
Dr Dolittle:
Excuse me?!
What’s next for you?
Aidan:
We would love to take the show on a mini-UK tour following the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, and are planning a few more London shows too.
We also have some fun ideas for future Dr Dolittle shows that we had to cut from this one for time, so if the people clammer for it… a sequel could be on the cards!
Dr Dolittle:
A game of tennis with Bill Oddie (if only his back-hand was as strong as his language!), before a quick catch-up over drinks with my literary agent who may or may not be a duck-billed platypus (Hint: she is).