Thinking Drinkers: 10 Edinburgh Fringe questions

Thinking Drinkers answers 10 questions about their 2016 Edinburgh Fringe show...

Give us a quick overview of your comedy career so far. Are you happy with where you're at?

We have been performing under the comedy listings of festivals and in venues around the UK for the last 6 years, but as yet I would still suggest that describing this as a 'comedy career' is tenuous. We started life as journalists and drinks writers, did that for 10 years then started to host tastings at food and drink festivals, and since punters were laughing at the gags we were throwing in, we decided to try and make it all more theatrical. That was in 2009 and this is will be our sixth Fringe.

We've enjoyed sell outs every year since we started and have sold out at the Brighton Fringe and York Fringe, in the Soho Theatre and Museum of Comedy in London and theatres all around the UK. So we're definitely happy with where we're at.

This year we're on at 8.30 with a brand new show which makes it a little more challenging but numbers look great so we're excited to be getting on with it. And we have another 25 date run in London in the winter back at the Museum of Comedy. Considering how much we enjoy getting on stage in our underpants, which happens quite a bit in our shows, it's safe to say we are delighted to be sort of earning a living doing what we're doing.

Tell us two truths and one lie about yourself (but mix them up, keep us guessing!).

1. Tom had a hernia operation a couple of weeks before the Fringe and can't lift the copious amounts of heavy props on stage.

2. Ben hit Tom in the face with some steps during a performance last week and cut his head open on stage.

3. We have a 6 year deal with the BBC to make informative and entertaining drinks related television programmes.

Describe your new show in exactly 23 words.

A theatrical adventure in alcohol, taking audiences around the planet with stories of drink, while serving them five free drinks. Five. Free. Drinks.

Any cunning plans to get more punters in?

We give them five free drinks. In terms of a plan in the city of Edinburgh, we figure that's about as cunning as it gets.

What's your plan for trying to eat - and drink - healthily during the Fringe?

We've already bought the fruit we expect to sit in the bowl for the month. There can only be good intentions at this stage, why bother pretending any different. We always drink properly, that's one thing everyone should do. Our catchphrase is 'drink less, drink better', but we don't tend to apply that rule to 1am trips to fast food restaurants. The one thing that will save us this year is the arrival half way through of our wives and children. Late night shenanigans are impossible with toddlers punching you in the eye at the crack of dawn, so that should change the nature of the experience this year.

What will you miss most while you're away from home?

That sense that you can sit down and watch some shit telly with your dinner in the evening, since every evening we will be performing to people. The run is a long one and you can't ever get the better of the nerves. With that comes some related toilet habits, we will miss being able to relax on the toilet. But interestingly, when this all comes to an end, we will miss the occasional applause we get from a performance that goes well. When the clapping stops, it is a very scary world.

Aside from performing, what else are you looking forward to doing in Scotland's fine capital?

Wearing waterproofs. Walking. It's a properly nice city to walk around. During the moments are kids aren't here, finding nice places for breakfast and reading the paper.

If you took over programming a Fringe venue, what would your perfect line-up of comedians be?

Les Dawson, Tommy Cooper, Hans Teeuwen, Spencer Jones, Richard Pryor, Bridget Christie.

Name the one person you'd rather not bump into during the festival.

HSBC, we owe them rather a lot of money thanks to this whole carry on.

Why should audiences pick your show over the 1,800+ other Fringe offerings listed on BCG this year?

They get five free drinks. Are there really 1600+ shows this year? Mercy. I suspect the drinks might not be enough... But really, our show is a lot more than comedy, we looked at the genre and decided we needed to offer audiences more, they laugh, but they enjoy an experience with the drinks we serve and learn something about them and how to drink. Audiences love comedy, but if you're not a top name with a TV presence you have to think differently about your hour and broaden the scope of the material. That's what we did and we offer value for money on your hour, laughter, learning and liquid!

'The Thinking Drinkers: Around the World in 80 Drinks' is at Underbelly Med Quad at 8:30pm until the 28th August. Listing