In the summer of ’99, six-year-old Vlad played a game of chess that changed his life forever. In Vladislav, Baby Don’t Hurt Me, the multi-award-winning stand-up explores his obsession with the game and how it led him to leave North Macedonia for the bright lights of the UK comedy scene, via Maltese celebrities, performing for the prince of Oman and a desire to rebuild the Ottoman empire.
Would you mind giving us a brief insight into what your show is?
From watching Soviet cartoons with moral lessons such as to stay humble, and playing chess with my dad who I thought called the horse piece a donkey, (turns out he was talking to me), this show is about how the game of chess brought me to the UK, introduced me to the world of comedy and taught me how to make better decisions in life
Tell us about the creative team and the process involved?
I have had the pleasure to work with director Dom Stephens (Old Vic, BBC Radio 4) whose unique style and skills complement mine and who made the rehearsal process very exciting.
We began working on this show in October last year and it was challenging to say the least. The jokes were there, but the narrative wasn’t, and although most comics would feel relieved with that setup, it is actually harder to work backwards.
It is like having the punchline without the premise, you have to think back in time, which is harder than it sounds!
How does it feel coming to the Fringe?
I’ve taken huge steps in between my Fringe stops in 2019, 22’ & 23’. There’s a lot of pressure this year, given it’s my debut show, but I’m trying my best not to get caught up in the hype. Once the spotlight is on, it’s you and the audience, everything else goes blank. At the end of the day, that’s what every comic thinks about.
There are over 3,000 shows at the Fringe. So, what sets your show apart?
Apart from it being about chess (I know only of one other), there’s not many shows that can feature jokes about communism, NATO and Macedonian hospitals.
The Balkans have been largely left out unexplored in UK culture, and is something I’m looking forward to presenting to Fringe crowds with an appetite for world knowledge.
Is there anything specific you’re hoping the audience will take away?
You don’t have to wait twenty years to say the things you want to say. Start living your life now and accept that pain and growth in life go hand in hand.
Also, my cousin’s AirBnB isn’t doing too well this summer, so if you could please book up.
Your ideal audience is in attendance, who’s watching? Or more importantly – who isn’t there…
This is a “slice of life” type of comedy show, so anyone who wants a watered-down, non-engaging story, where you neither gain nor lose anything, it’s probably not for them.
My ideal audience is diverse, open-minded and a bit silly. It is a light show, but some of the facts in it may feel raw or heavy to some. Just remember that, if I talk about something bad that happened to me in the show, it means I’ve overcome it hence why I can laugh about it and include it in the story.
It’s an intense month, so where you’re able, how do you plan to relax, and are there any other shows you intend to see or want to recommend?
There’s heaps of other shows I want to see – first on the list are the debut shows of my fellow Pleasance Comedy Reservists Jin Hao Li, Will Robbins and Abby Wambaugh. I’m also looking forward to Joshua Bethania’s “Coming Home” at Gilded Balloon and Kevin James Doyle’s show “After Endgame”. Finally, I’m really excited about Hasan Al Habib & Aisha Amanduri’s “2 Muslim, 2 Furious: Mecca Drift” at the Dragonfly.
I will be spending a lot of my free time at the Edinburgh chess club, enjoying what I hope will be many fun matches!
In your ideal world, how can we improve the Fringe, of performance, and the industry?
I think the institutions, the industry and the council need to come together and make some positive impact decisions to the future of young performers at the Fringe with regards to every aspect – from costs of marketing your show, to living costs, accommodation and so on.
I really feel like they could be doing more, not everything needs to turn profit and be a sales thing. There are so many talented performers I know who sadly, won’t have the chance to attend the Fringe this year.
We have to be mindful not to turn a festival that celebrates culture into a stock market enterprise and a commodity only available to those who are financially well-insulated.
Interested in being featured on our Have a Gander page? With many previews and Q&As lined up, we’re always happy to chat about including your show in future articles. Please do get in touch through the contact page to feature in an upcoming ‘Have A Gander’