Lucy Porter

Entertaining the Thought

What is your show all about?

It's called 'Lady Luck' and in a nutshell it's about luck ... and fortune, and fate, and karma, and destiny, and probability, and coincidences, and superstition. It also features contemporary dance, a meat raffle and a man with two c*cks.

Where and when can we see it?

At 10.20 in the evening at Edinburgh's glamorous Assembly Rooms from August the 6th until August the 30th. I shall not be performing on the 10th and 17th, but I don't want you to think i'm being lazy and having those days off altogether, because I will still be appearing in the (very serious) play 'One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest' on those days (and every other day) at 1.45 at the Assembly Rooms.

Do you love Edinburgh or is it a chore?

The only bad thing is that Edinburgh is very hilly and I only have little legs, so they get tired from all the walking. And often the breweries smell funny. Other than that, it's a joy. I hope that this year I have hit upon the ideal recipe for having fun at the festival... share a flat with lovely people, do a job that i love doing for an hour a night, and then try something different (being in a play) during the day.

What will you be doing with the other 23 hrs of the day?

Well, as I've mentioned (possibly too much) above, I'm doing some proper acting in One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest, but I've only got a tiny part in it (all of 5 lines!), so that's quite a gentle introduction to acting I hope. And I will be going swimming with my lovely flatmate Sarah Kendall whose show you can see at the Pleasance at 9.35. This year I intend to see lots of other shows too.

What's the best thing you've ever seen on the fringe?

My friend Ben Moor has consistently performed the most wonderful shows, this year he's departing from his usual 'romantic comedy meets sci-fi fantasy' thing to do an utterly grim horror show based on a Jonathan Carroll novella called 'Black Cocktail', which is on at 3.15 at the Pleasance. It really is an education for all of us who thought Ben was a nice person, because it reveals the awful, evil truth about his dark side.

What's the worst thing you've seen?

No contest. 'Bad Play', the most disgraceful embarrassment to theatre. These pitifully shambolic amateurs are inflicting 'Worser Play' on unsuspecting Edinburgh audiences at 12.40 every day in the afternoon at C Venues. Avoid this at all costs. Yes, it may be funny, but as a proper actress (did I mention I'm in a play) it's a disgrace to the profession.

What's the most curious thing that's happened to you in Edinburgh?

I once weed in a hedge.

If you could persuade one VIP to come to your show who would it be? Why?

Mark Owen off of Take That. They said that Woody Allen's 'Annie Hall' was a love letter to New York, my Edinburgh show is a love letter to Mark Owen, only in a much more literal way.

If the Edinburgh fairy could grant your wish, what would your wish for?

Mark Owen in my audience. And I've always wanted to own a pony. Called Bunty.

What advice do you have for first time Edinburgh punters?

Enjoy yourself, it's later than you think. Or earlier. Or, it doesn't matter, just enjoy yourself.