Succeeding in comedy in Edinburgh (& Leicester)

Chris Lander from the comedy promoters Phil McIntyre and Geoff Rowe from Leicester Comedy Festival came to talk to a small, but quality group of aspiring comedians on Saturday at Embrace Arts, Leicester. Both had many hints on how to make the most of performing at Edinburgh and Leicester. Key hints for stand-up and theatre shows included: - Get as much stage time as possible to hone your act before going to Edinburgh. You can often get uppaid slots through social network sites such as Chortle's Open Mic networks and Facebook's many Open Mic networks. - Make sure you have some material online. Increasingly acts are getting agents/bookings because of the number of hits they are getting for sketches and excerpts on Facebook/utube etc - Have followers. People will be more likely to give you a gig or slot at a Festival if you can bring an audience with you. - See Edinburgh and Leicester as a showcase. Audiences are important, but focus on getting agents, promoters, reviewers and other comics to see your show. Leicester Comedy Festival continues until Sunday 20 Feb: http://www.comedy-festival.co.uk/