Edinburgh Comedy Award nominee Ian Smith (co-host of the Northern News podcast) returns with a new show, Foot Spa Half Empty about stress, love and buying a magic spell off Amazon.
Where: Monkey Barrel 1
When: 29 Jul-24 Aug
Ticket link: https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/ian-smith-foot-spa-half-empty
What can you tell us about Foot Spa Half Empty? What should audiences expect?
It’s about my continuing battle with stress – and how on paper a lot of things have been going better for me since my last show, but that I’ve still managed to have a stressful year.
There’s a lot about getting older and wanting to start a family and how that’s been made difficult with some fertility issues. But it’s funny and very silly.
There’s no lighting changes or sad music. Unless the tech decides to hijack things.
You’re a northerner living in London (like me). Is it a fertile ground for comedy?
I think so – my favourite thing is looking back at the North from London via newspaper headlines.
The podcast I do with fellow exiled Northerner Amy Gledhill (Northern News) looks at all the bizarre news stories from the North and they all make me feel very proud.
The North is a uniquely funny place – some of my favourite stories include: Woman Finds Spitting Image of Dead Dog in Bath Mat, Headteacher appeared so drunk at school boy told him ‘you look chunked out of your bean’ and the classic: Yorkshire man’s torment as mystery stranger keeps yelling ‘porridge’ through his letterbox.
How did you get your start as a performer? Do Fringe festivals inspire you?
I performed sketches with my friends when we were in secondary school and we put on a few shows at our local theatre – then when I went to Uni I started doing solo gigs.
I did a compilation show called The Lunchtime Club in 2010 (I think!) at the Fringe and was cast in a sitcom off the back of it.
I’ve been doing comedy as my job since then – admittedly starting with a salary no one else would consider enough to be classed as having a “job”.
What are you looking forward to the most about Edinburgh?
As much as I love performing, and watching other comedy shows, I’m really looking forward to my day off.
I keep it completely free, usually go somewhere on the coast, have a full packet of Vocalzones to restore my voice and play Football Manager on my phone.
It’s such an addictive game it’s good for taking your mind off work – I’m going to try and get the worst team I can play to the Champions League.
Last year I was sat underneath the Forth Road Bridge, eating a cake by the water and getting told my performance as manager of Farsley Celtic needed to improve. Lovely stuff.
Where can we see your show after Fringe?
I’m taking my show on tour – I’ll be at Soho Theatre in London in November and then all around the UK in February and March (including lots of dates back ooooop North).
All tickets on my website www.iansmithcomedy.co.uk