EdFringe Sockstalgia Part 1

The Scottish Falsetto Sock Puppet Theatre aren't at the Edinburgh Fringe this year, the first year we've missed since we started #edfringe-ing it in 2007. It's been fun to take a breather, and especially to have money at this time of year, which is an unusual and pleasant state of affairs. And I have to stress I'm not missing Edinburgh at all, partly cos the Fringe hasn't started yet, and partly cos I was there last week doing a show in Peebles so got to see the Fringe venues being put up and get a feel of the start of the whole Festival vibe. But mostly I'm not missing the Fringe because, well, I'm just not. I'm already saving up to take the Socks to Edinburgh in 2012, but for now a gap year seems just the right thing. It's also a chance to have a look back at the 4 years, and 4 different shows the Socks have taken to Edinburgh. Here's a clip from our debut year, 2007.



Blimey, the Embra routine and the Flyer song. I'd totally forgotten those. Because that piece is so much about the Edinburgh Fringe, I've always figured it would be unintelligible to the rest of the country so it's never been part of the touring show.

And look at those costumes, or lack of them. It's hard to imagine now, but when the Socks performed their first Edinburgh show they did it naked. At one point during the run the Sock on the left acquired his kilt, but he would only put it on halfway through the show. And the Sock on the right remained naked throughout.

And that set is so bare. The now familiar tartan set, with its proscenium arch, didn't appear until the 2008 show. And right through their spring 2008 tour I was performing the Socks show with a set with no sides. Anyone entering the venue sideways on saw a bloke sitting in a seat behind the black set. If I couldn't manage to attach that tartan sheet to a wall behind us, we were as good as invisible. My, aren't we all glad the Socks have put on a little visual pizazz since the early days.

Still pretty funny back then though, bless their cotton selves. More trips down memory lane ahead, I'm sure. And, if you're lucky, they might start writing something new. The 2012 show's only 53 weeks away...



PS, in case you missed it, a nice review of the Socks in Cardiff, as part of the Brown Bear comedy night, from Buzz magazine.
"Their inherent license for playfulness paired with their meta-fictional intelligence and clever observations do raise a few surprising giggles and bring an unquestionable sense of variety to the line-up" - Buzz