Robin Grainger is back
By Debbie Jackson
BBC Scotland
Like many performers, comedian Robin Grainger hoped that the Edinburgh Fringe might be a springboard to stardom.
That may have looked unlikely when he only sold a single ticket for his show last year – but his decision to go ahead with the gig changed the course of his career.
Robin knew the show must go on, so he went out on stage and brought a whole new meaning to the term one-man show.
What happened next was the stuff of Fringe folklore.
Robin, from Portsoy in Aberdeenshire, gave it his all – and by chance comedy reviewer Kate Copstick was waiting outside to watch the next performer.
Commenting to a staff member that the gig sounded like it was going well, she was told there was one person in the audience. She was so impressed that Robin had gone ahead with the show that she tweeted about it.
When BBC Scotland News picked up on the story, the tale went viral and before he knew it, Robin was a festival legend.
“It went mad,” Robin said. “The story went all over the world. I did 60 to 70 media interviews – 50 of them in the first week.
“And I sold out my Fringe shows.
“Off the back of that I went on a mini tour of the UK last year.”
Image source, Robin Grainger
Robin ended up doing a mini tour on the back of his Fringe success last year
And – he said – “weird stuff” started to happen.
“Companies sent me clothes for free. And people sent me pictures of newspaper articles about me in Germany.
“Someone – a nurse – drew a portrait of me. And people would ask me for selfies.
“When I was doing a show in Newcastle a man was almost hit by a car running across the road to get a selfie – it’s still baffling to me.
“Even now, every couple of days someone will still message me saying they heard of what happened. From places like Australia and Portugal.”
He was even the subject of BBC Radio’s Good Morning Scotland programme‘s Thought For The Day slot.
Robin is back at this year’s Fringe. He is higher up the bill and has already sold 100 times the number of tickets he shifted for that first gig of his run last year.
His fan base is building – and includes the solitary man who came to see that show in 2022.
Robin now counts radio executive Mike Carr as a friend, and he even features on the flyer of his 2023 show.
Image source, Robin Grainger
Mike travelled to Edinburgh to star in the flyer image for Robin’s new show
“An audient with Robin Grainger” throws back to Kate Copstick’s review, where she called Mike the “audient” – which means hearer, the singular term for an audience.
Robin said: “I had the idea to get the biggest venue I could and have one person sat in the audience for the photo.
“The Playhouse let us use it and Mike agreed to travel up from Leicester just to have the photo taken in an empty Playhouse.
“He also surprised me on the last day of the tour, sneaking in to the back of the room.
“I asked him why he didn’t heckle me and his comeback was: ‘I wanted to see what the show was like with an audience’.”
The events of last August have inspired more than the new show’s title.
Robin talks about what transpired at The Stand 2 in Edinburgh but the main theme of the show is overcoming fear.
‘Not scared’
He told BBC Scotland: “Last year I conquered the biggest fear as a comedian – not having an audience.
“I think I am a lot less scared of things now that I am not scared of a single-person gig any more.
“Now the routine is about conquering other fears. If you can get over that you can get over bigger things.
“I look at body image, feeling awkward, school days, mortality and grief.
“So far it has really connected with people – even the darker bits. I was worried about speaking about things like that but it has been well received because I think there is more relief when you can have a chuckle.”
Image source, Robin Grainger
Robin Grainger and his “audient” Mike Carr bonded after the show
Robin’s new fans include comedians Chris Ramsay, and Kevin Bridges and Iain Stirling both recommended the show on social media.
He can’t believe he has sold tickets before the Fringe has even started.
And while he may not be expecting to perform for one person, he still hopes he will get a boost from the run.
“I’m proud of this show. I’d love to do a wee tour after it. I’ll just continue to try to build my audience and perform to as many people as possible.”
Kate Copstick told BBC Scotland she was glad Robin used the platform he was given.
“I genuinely love it when I can help the unknown people, the weirdos, the risky guys,” she said.
“We need to keep comedy crazy and wonderful and personal. Find another name for the corporate, industrialised, stuff.
“If Robin ever goes there, I will hunt him down and hurt him. And there is the title for that show, should he ever appear in the Edinburgh International Conference Centre.”
