Richard Stott: A case for work in progress shows at the Fringe

Written by: Richard Stott
Published: Thursday 8th August 2024

As I write this, it's mid-July and many of my comedy peers are deep in rehearsals, frantic re-writes and yet more previews.

All of them quite rightly working hard to perfect their shows and find that perfect balance of comedy and narrative arc that may see them declared the winner of the Edinburgh Fringe 2024.

Not me though. Would it surprise you to hear that I have barely written a word and have not previewed at all?

Well it's true. Rather than having anxiety dreams and cold sweats because I've not done any work (like the 21 year-old me who left it to the final week to start my university dissertation) I'm actually getting more sleep than usual and looking forward to the fringe more than ever. This isn't some cavalier attitude to the effort that goes into putting on a show at the fringe, the fact is I am taking a work in progress (or WIP as it's often abbreviated to) up to Edinburgh this year.

Now, in the comedy world, work in progress shows or WIPs are a common occurrence. However, because the world is not made up of comedians, it's quite likely that lots of audience members may not be so acquainted. So here is a handy guide to work in progress shows and why they aren't to be overlooked.

What is a WIP?

A work in progress is exactly what it sounds like, a comedian presenting ideas to themselves as much as the audience to see what is going to stick in the long run. Think of it as that middle bit of an episode of Grand Designs, Kevin McCloud pokes around the foundations of an ambitious project, gets excited at some bits and sternly says "this just isn't gonna work" at others. You, the audience, are Kevin McCloud, I (the comedian) am the wannabe architect having a midlife crisis. The result is often the same: I hope you come back to see the finished project and it will definitely be over budget.

This isn't to say I'm going to the fringe to make it up as I go along. I have a clear plan of what I want my show to become. I have a lovely narrative with the right amount of peril and will be working in bits I've been using on the circuit and writing new ideas to include while I'm there. No show will be the same .... So you can come three times, yeah?

Why do a WIP?

There are many reasons for a WIP at the Fringe but the obvious one is it's a reliable run of new material to a captive audience. Even with 5 days you can come away with the bones of your next show or even just a new 20 minutes of club material.

There is another side to it as well though and it's where I have personally landed... mounting a full show costs a lot. Personally, if I am to bring a full show to the fringe and have it make a positive impact on my career, there are time and costs of:

- Writing

- Rehearsing

- Booking previews that barely anyone comes to

- Getting the right PR

- Venue

- Production company

- Accommodation

... all of which will be astronomical.

I am not in that position. At best, I can write a show in the spare time I have from whatever full time job I'm holding down to scrape rent for another month, then basically not practice because I can't afford to lose money on previews. This means myself and lots of other comedians are playing a longer game. We're developing shows over a much longer period of time so when we finally bring the finished article to the festival at the very least the writing will be there and the performance will be as good as it can be.

I, like many others, have to work with resources I have rather than rush out a show for the sake of it. Put it this way, it took the composer Johannes Brahms 21 years to compose his first symphony and you better believe I'll feel just as much pride and achievement when I step up in a year or so and tell that first toilet joke.

I'm told by comedians who have been in the game longer than me that the fringe used to be the place to develop work, rather than the rampant trade show geared towards rewarding the highest bidder it sometimes feels it has become. They speak of the before times and look away wistfully as if imagining a world before a cataclysm that caused the breakdown of society. I'm of the opinion that there is room for the big shows and the small, I'd certainly be a hypocrite if I said I wouldn't one day be trying my hand bringing the big show and chasing my dream of being declared winner of the Edinburgh Festival.

Why should I go to a WIP?

When it comes to the fringe, you have polished shows backed by PR juggernaut with their huge posters and slick trailers, so work in progress shows can often go under the radar - and that's ok. However don't be misled that WIPs will not be of a high standard or buzzing with comedic energy. Speaking from my own experience as a stand-up, some of my most memorable moments on stage have come from a new bit being worked out there and then in the room. There's something electric happening when both you and the audience discover something is funny at the same time.

I should mention too that there are some rather big names doing WIPs at the fringe year (Sara Pascoe, Sue Perkins, Janine Harouni); it's a great way to see a bigger act in a slightly more relaxed scratch setting, for comedy nerds like me these are often the most special shows. These however won't go under the radar so book in advance.

I know I stated at the top of this article that I have barely written a word but have no fear, I have been walking around with the idea of this show since last year. I've been moving invisible boxes around in my head, talking through the narrative with myself on long walks so when I finally sit down to write it should all be there. I'm excited to bring my work in progress to the fringe this year and you as an audience member could be crucial in shaping how the finished show turns out and that I think is the most exciting bit.

We may not have the slick technical aspects, the musical scores, choreographed numbers or that satisfying end that makes you go "I have to tweet about this!". But what I can guarantee you is if you come to a work in progress you will be part of something real, unpredictable and quite purely "fringe".