Amy chats to Charlie Vero-Martin as she prepares to take her show Picnic to the Fringe!
Hey Charlie – here’s your chance to give an elevator pitch, can you give us a
brief synopsis?
One-woman sketch show from Scottish comedian Charlie Vero-Martin full of
characters, puppets and dark twists. Think The Muppets meets Inside No.9.
What inspired you to create this show?
After the pandemic I wanted to make a big, fun, silly sketch show full of characters and
puppets and joy – so I did! But I realised a lot of that was born out of my panic about the
world spinning out of control. So there are a few dark twists in this show, which means this
picnic goes a bit Midsommar.
Have you performed at the fringe before? What are the best and worst parts of
performing at the fringe?
I’ve taken three solo shows and done runs with my previous improv groups, Glitch –
The Improvised Puppet Show and Blind Mirth. Performing is always the best bit. The
worst bit is all the admin that comes with it. It can be soul destroying when you
exhaust yourself flyering only for no one to show up but when a stranger you flyer
does come and loves it, that’s amazing.
What are the main themes within the production, and what can audiences
expect?
The overarching theme is the desire to feel in control. So much right now feels out of
our hands and perhaps the answer is to spend an hour together revelling in that. If
you’re curious about the world and like to play, come along and just be ready for a
few surprises.
Finally, with so many shows at the Edinburgh Fringe why should people book
a ticket to this one?
It’s really fun. I’ll tell you why sea urchins wear hats and why pinecones are passive
aggressive. You get to murder my stage manager and get life advice from a picnic
basket. I’m also from Edinburgh so you know, support a local gal!
Charlie Vero-Martin: Picnic is on at 6:55PM from 3RD – 27TH AUGUST (EXCEPT 14TH) at UNDERBELLY COWGATE (DELHI BELLY). Find Charlie at: charlieveromartin.com / Twitter @CharlieVMartin / TikTok @charlieveromartin / Instagram @charlievmartin
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