Edinburgh Festivals Diary: ‘I was worried about dying at the Fringe, but not like this’

Louis, who grew up in Edinburgh, worked as an usher at the Filmhouse, as well as taking on jobs during the EIFF as a teen. However, when he gave his opening address at the Cameo premiere - the EIFF always holds two, almost simultaneously, but with enough of a gap to allow the talent to run between them to address the audience - he was marginally less emotional, though apparently still had reason to be.

“This is my home town and it’s a big deal,” he said.

In an interview with The Scotsman, he revealed he had done work experience at the Cameo when he was a pupil at nearby James Gillespie's High School.

“I don’t think they knew what to do with me so they let me watch lots of films and write a review of Apocalypse Now Redux, which they put in the newsletter. I don’t think I was even old enough to watch it,” he admits.

Meanwhile, at the launch of Edinburgh Art Festival, American photographer Del laGrace was showcasing their work.

“I have a lot of self portraits,” they said. “Which is because I’m always available.”

The EAF has a new base for the first time - EAF92 on Leith’s Constitution Street - its first permanent headquarters. And very lovely it looks too.

‘I was worried about dying at the Fringe, but not like this’

It is a performer’s biggest fear - to “die” on stage during a show.

Yet this week saw a couple of panic-inducing medical emergencies on stage - caused by both the heatwave and the dangerous practice of eating custard creams. Don’t worry, everyone is fine now.

Teen performer Aaron Rickman collapsed on stage during a performance of Helen Shapiro Walkin Back at Greenside when temperatures in his venue soared to 30 degrees. Wearing a toasty polo neck and wig to play John Lennon, 15-year-old Aaron received medical support, before being sent home for a well-needed rest.

“He went straight to bed when he got home to Fife,” says John Murray, writer of the show, which is performed by Kingdom Theatre Company. “On his way over today though and ready to go again.”

Meanwhile, at Zoo Playground, Rachel Twigg’s life flashed before her eyes.

She can laugh about it now, but Rachel's ordeal during her show Your Choice Amanda Royce on Wednesday was anything but funny.

Rachel “stress eats” a custard cream during her performance - but in this show, she choked on the biscuit and couldn't breath.

With no tech staff in the show to realise Rachel’s plight and perform the Heimlich manoeuvre, the audience thought it was part of the performance and burst into laughter.

Eventually an audience member sitting on the front row realised something might be wrong - and gave Rachel a few hard slaps on the back to dislodge the biscuit.

Rachel said: “The audience assumed it was part of the action, I was trying to communicate that I needed help, but they just laughed even more. I worried about dying at the Fringe, but not like this.”