Edinburgh Fringe Q&A - Liam Withnail

Edinburgh-based comedian Liam Withnail is adapting to a new normal having been diagnosed with a chronic illness last year.

His show at this year’s Fringe, Chronic Boom, details how he reckons with his new reality with ulcerative colitis – a type of inflammatory bowel disease – which hospitalised him for ten days in October last year and could do again at any point.

At the start of 2022, he believed himself to be an able bodied, healthy, young man, even training for a marathon.

But then came the diagnosis, which even impacted the way he built a show as he had to continually plan for the worst case scenario and the cancellation of previews.

The show explores how we adapt when life throws a curveball, taking audiences on a rollercoaster of laughter but also packing an emotional punch.

How are you feeling ahead of the Fringe?

I’m really, genuinely, excited. Normally you say that but it’s bulls**t – this year it’s true! I love my show and can’t wait to get started.

Did you enjoy your festival experience last year?

Yes! It was a fun, no frills, hour of stand up last year – so less pressure. But I finished wanting to do something a bit more ambitious in 2023, and here we are.

What is your show about, and what inspired it?

In 2022 I spent a few weeks in hospital with an ongoing chronic health problem. This show is about that time in hospital! I wished for something more ambitious, and then I was struck down with illness.

How has chronic illness impacted on your comedy career?

Travelling the length and breadth of the country is difficult when you might have to go to hospital at any moment. I also had to come up with a new way to write a show, in case important previews got cancelled due to ill health. I’ve broken my show up into small stand alone parts that can be worked on at local, new material nights. When put together they tell one cohesive story.

As an Edinburgh resident, how do you feel about the way the Fringe takes over the city?

I love it. Edinburgh is beautiful and I get to live here all year, so showing it off to the world is a treat. All my favourite people come here and there’s never a shortage of good stuff to see and cool people to hang out with – but I can escape to my actual home if it gets too much.

What are your favourite memories from the festival?

Too many. Using SPANKS infamous naked plug to advertise my kids show, being gunged live on stage by Dave Benson Philips, winning Outstanding show in 2019.

Liam Withnail details life with a chronic illness in his new show.

How much are you looking forward to doing Enjoy An Album live as well?

We started Enjoy an Album during lockdown, over zoom. To go from that to a room packed with fans, singing the jingles, being dumb – is unbelievable. Interacting IRL with the fans is so fun. 200 weirdos in a room is bound to be a festival highlight.

If you were put in charge of the Fringe, what changes would you make?

So many! I would either change the Edinburgh Comedy Awards best newcomer or invent a new award for best unsigned act. I feel like opportunities for actually new comics are non-existent, as most of those nominated tend to be signed to big agencies already.

Access at the festival is pretty poor, so many venues are simply not accessible to those with disabilities. NextUp are streaming a bunch of shows this year (including mine, wink wink) and things like that open up the festival to a whole bunch of people who previously wouldn’t be able to see anything.

How would you describe how you feel when your walk on music hits and you take a step out onto the stage?

It depends who I see when I get out there. If I don’t recognise anyone, I feel super comfortable. but that reviewer I think hates me? An ex girlfriend? Another comedian? Then the terror sets in. All of these things have happened and each time I had killer shows. The ex even said after “you’ve gotten funny”. Now that’s a victory.

Who else are you looking forward to seeing at the Fringe?

Christopher Macarthur Boyd, my best mate in comedy, is one of the finest comedians on the UK circuit. An hour with him is an hour well spent. Stuart McPherson’s show is as ever jam packed with excellent jokes. Krystal Evans has a show that I’ve seen three times and can’t stop thinking about. Marjolein Robertson is the craziest person I know and needs to be seen to be believed.

What’s your favourite one-liner?

Guy walked into a bar looking for an innuendo, so I gave him one.

Who’d be your dream…

Podcast co-host / guest

I’d love to have a podcast where I review crisps from around the world, with someone really bizarre from history, like Marie Antoinette. Tell me you wouldn’t listen to that.

Karaoke duetter

It is my lifelong ambition to sing Islands in the stream with Dolly Parton.

Wrestling tag team partner

Danny Dyer. Fellow Eastender, fellow West Ham fan, gift of the gab, and pretends to be able to handle himself much more than he probably can (just like real wrestlers)