Fringe Benefits

Over the past week I've realised that I'm in completely the wrong place right now. Where I need to be is the Edinburgh Fringe. Whilst it is easy to dismiss the fringe as a load of self-indulgent tosh for Oxbridge-types and professional 'comics' (as, for many years, I did), I've come to realise that it is actually an opportunity to get your product out there to a live audience. Maybe that's the breakthrough The Sleaze needs? I mean, it wouldn't be a selling-out of our underground principles, as 'everyone' will tell you (at great length) that the Fringe most definitely isn't mainstream, (even though you'll find such struggling comedians like Lucy Porter there year after year - I mean you never see her on the telly, do you?). Anyway, getting back to the point, it appears that just about everybody has a show on at the fringe this year, often in tiny 'venues' and playing to audiences of three (we'd feel right at home).

Now, I haven't a clue how The Sleaze could be transformed into a show for the fringe, but there must be a way. Apparently musicals are very popular - there's even an A-Team based musical on this year. So, leaving aside the fact that I detest musicals, maybe that's the way ahead - perhaps we could set some of the stories to music. Actually, the more I think about it, the more I like the idea of seeing someone perform 'I took it up the bum for Britain' as a show tune. Or maybe a chorus line belting out 'They stole Jacko's brain - what a tragedy'. How about an operetta based on the 'Two Faces of David Cameron'? The Wild Women of Wandsworth could be interpreted through the medium of dance. The possibilities are endless. Obviously, it's too late to do anything this year, but maybe next year we'll be presenting Sleaze- The Musical on the fringe...