Hey kids, thought you might like to know what some people are writing about my attempts to make ours a better world by doing not one but TWO shows at the Edinburgh Fringe.
First there’s this gorgeous feature in The Independent, promoting both my chat show and my one lady show here at the Fringe:
My Secret Life: Scott Capurro, comedian, 48
Saturday, 13 August 2011
Capurro says: ‘Like most stand-up comedians, I’m both visual and a bit autistic, and I can’t focus on two things at once. Unless I’m dealing with hecklers’
My parents were… practically strangers when they married. My mother was in love with someone else, and my father couldn’t keep his hands off her. Once over the threshold, she became his maid.
The household I grew up in… was full of animals. Friends were busy eating sugar while I was bottle-feeding baby raccoons and setting out mice for our pet owl, Barney.
When I was a child I wanted to… escape. My neighbour joined me on a journey that left us, at night, atop a local hill that felt like a distant mountain. I was eight years old. A helicopter’s searchlight eventually identified us.
If I could change one thing about myself… I’d understand monogamy.
You wouldn’t know it but I’m very good at… maths. I can do difficult percentages in my head and I really enjoy accountancy. I’m a loner and when I was in school, books were my ONLY friends.
You may not know it but I’m no good at… subtitles. Really, there are just far too many, even in French films. Like most stand-up comedians, I’m both visual and a bit autistic, and I can’t focus on two things at once. Unless I’m dealing with hecklers.
I wish I’d never worn… headgear. It attached to my braces and pulled my overbite back, setting my teeth properly. I waited until they were buried before I asked my first boy on a date. His name was Jeff. He had perfect white teeth.
What I see when I look in the mirror… I used to like myself with facial hair. I grew a moustache in Australia 10 years ago and it looked fierce. Now if I skip a shave, I appear as though I should be on some sort of list of dangerous, hungover roadies.
I drive/ride… public transport. I believe in it, fortunately, because I’m a terrible driver. North of the Golden Gate, on a dark freeway, I drove into the gut of a huge deer and it exploded. I was on the phone, bitching about something. After that, I sold the car and now I mostly rely on the bus.
Movie heaven… is my local DVD rental place, which is all woody inside, and run by some adorable, pale, thin-armed nerds who organise a Tuesday night film retrospective at the Bethnal Green Working Men’s Club. The host with scrambled-eggs hair mispronounces everyone remotely foreign. The seats are stiff and upright, they only serve Tetley’s tea or jug wine and the place is freezing cold, even in the summer. I’m a regular.
My secret crush is… Gordon Brown. I met him at the – snore – the Hay Festival. We shook hands and said hello. He’s got a very strong grip, which made me tumescent. He’s also mastered a gorgeous smile. He seemed glamorous and contrite at the same time, like Jimmy Carter, whom I also adore.
My greatest regrets… are too embarrassing to list, because they’re mostly professional, self-serving and egocentric. What’s important is my mum knew I loved her.
What’s the point? Win every argument, and disprove authority. All we have is our ideas, or someone else’s, and every idea and fact is worth joking about.
My life in six words… I’m not Hindu, I’m a hippy.
A life in brief
Scott Capurro was born in San Francisco in 1962. As an actor, he appeared in Mrs Doubtfire, before turning to comedy, winning the Perrier Award at the Edinburgh Festival in 1994. Guests on his live chat show, Scott Capurro’s Position, have included Michael Barrymore, Vivienne Westwood and Boy George; it is currently at the Gilded Balloon in Edinburgh, to 24 August, while his stand-up show, Who Are the Jocks, is at the Pleasance to 29 August. Capurro lives in east London
There’s also this loving profile of my show, in Fest Mag:
Confounding preconceptions will undoubtedly be a challenge for Scott Capurro, whose reflections on parenting used to be restricted to Madeleine McCann gags. Sharing his grief for his late mother and his nascent nesting urges, the controversial gay comic has written arguably his most shocking Fringe show yet.
Who Are The Jocks? takes its title from the last words the Columbine killers uttered before they opened fire, bleak inspiration even for the San Franciscan. And yet, it’s reflective of his residual anger at the macho homophobia that started in school and continued through to a recent assault in a Cardiff comedy club.
However, in discussing the death of his “only authority figure” and the exemplar for his abrasive wit, who sold him cocaine at 18, outed him to the world and whom he describes the “funniest person I’ve ever known”, Capurro risks having audiences empathise with him.
“I’ve never looked for common ground – it embarrasses me,” he shudders. “This is the first show I’ve written where I think there’s going to be familiarity with my feelings. And I’ve never wanted that, an audience relating to me.”
“The only way I could deal with my mom’s passing was to do so creatively,” he says. But can he keep empathy at arm’s length and do her irreverent humour justice? Resolving this dilemma ought to be cathartic, if not oddly Oedipal.
“Mothers do date their gay sons. They treat us like boyfriends,” he laments.
“Apparently women feel safer watching me now than ever before. I know that’s supposed to make me feel good, but it doesn’t. I think ‘Oh how can I fuck you up, how can I torture you?’ Then my director reminds me that’s not the point this time.”
Now, this first review is all about our chat show Scott Capurro’s Position:
Scott Capurro’s Position Review
By JD Stewart – Posted on 08 August 2011
EdinburghGuide
5 STARS
Venue: Teviot House
Company: Scott Capurro / Gilded Balloon
Performers: Scott Capurro and David Mills
The only point of reference I had of Scott Capurro before seeing him this year, was his performance in the film Mrs Doubtfire – making up Robin Williams and singing Don’t Rain on my Parade. In one of two shows he has at this years festival – the other is about the death of his mother – Capurro is joined on stage with David Mills for an interview style show with acts who are in this years festival.
Bringing a show that takes place in London and can sometimes last for three hours – if Vivienne Westwood wants to chat, you let her chat – can be no easy task. The main thing for this show is making sure all fits into the time given (a paltry sixty minutes) just doesn’t seem like enough.
Both Mills and Capurro are incredibly likeable. Their witty banter and sparring is possibly the most entertaining thing I have seen from two people in a long time. It is clear that not only are the good friends, but are in complete understanding of the boundaries to have with each other – I could have watched the two of them all afternoon.
The other aspect of a show like this is the clear amount of variety. Who will be there and what you will see is day-by-day dependant. It is like a lottery of possibilities, with guests already ranging from critic Kate Copstick to Queer As Folk USA star Hal Sparks.
I am aware that there are other shows with a similar set up to this one this year (most notably The Hamiltons) but this is the one that needs your time. Be prepared to be enticed by two men that can most surely coax anything from anyone.
We received this from Three Weeks, a fantastic 4 STAR review:
Scott Capurro’s Position
Scott Capurro / Gilded Balloon
Dynamic talk show duo Scott Capurro and David Mills present a ‘car crash’ of characters; with different guests daily, they showcase some of Edinburgh’s rawer talent while cracking Susan Boyle, homosexual, and paedophile jokes. Karen Dunbar, the Ayr/Glaswegian comic, talked about her career and growing up in Scotland, while Roy Hutchins of the Zanzibar Cats performed both comic and moving spoken word. An art critic from the Scotsman was there to discuss how “corporate venues” slaughter the fringe spirit, and finally, Barb Jungr was joined on stage by Simon Wallace on the keys in an absolutely captivating cover of Bob Dylan. These two aren’t afraid to bring controversy on stage, with all five Hitlers at the Fringe joining them next.
Gilded Balloon Teviot, 3 – 29 Aug, 4.15pm (5.15pm), £9.00 – £11.00, fpp148.
tw rating 4/5
This mention is also about the chat show, written by Naomi Bridges at the National Student (adorable!):
4 STARS
Scott Capurro is probably most famous for being the comedian that constantly pushes boundaries surrounding gay life, politics and popular culture and for being deliberately provocative in his material. Or you may know him from his role in Mrs. Doubtfire.
Scott Capurro’s show, Position, is one that changes day to day as it takes on the premise of a talk show where different acts at the fringe come on to talk about, well, their acts.
With David Mills supporting, no one is safe and audience and guests alike are gently ribbed and fall victim to the charm of Mills and Capurro. Resistance is futile.
Pete Bennett guested on the show and talked about his act at the fringe and, quite predictably, living with Tourette’s syndrome. Growing up in Brighton, Pete Bennett was fully immersed in the gay scene and regales the audience with anecdotes of how he used to ‘get babysat by trannys’ and his penchant for S&M. Listening to him talk about his split with his wife and what brought him to the fringe, Bennett’s honesty reminds the audience of why he won Big Brother in the first place. A rendition of ‘Miss Great Britain’ – a Sex Pistols inspired punk song about the time Bennett met Miss Great Britain – towards the end of the show gives the audience a sneaky peak into the world of Pete Bennett and what his show this year is like.
Usually three acts guest on Position but unfortunately one had failed to turn up, however, Mills and Capurro carried on regardless the audience were treated to an hour of light-hearted chat and a glimpse of what is like backstage as the acts talk about the fringe and what it is like to start out in the business.
Thoroughly enjoyable.
And this from Scotsgay:
The Edinburgh Fringe 2011
Scott Capurro’s Position
4 STARS
Scott Capurro’s Position
Gilded Ballon
This is one of two shows Capurro has this festival, and this one is a two-man chat show he presents with the amazing David Mills. Together, these two queens are invincible – with their acid humour and knowledge about everything on the planet!
They introduce a different panel of guests every day, and when I was there it was Nicholas Parsons (I found him rather arrogant); Melvin Brown (maniacally laughed the whole way through his interview – he’s either the cheeriest or highest man alive!) and Dave Lynn (a.m.a.z.i.n.g. live singing drag queen – I want to see his show now!!) Capurro and Mills are stronger than the sum of their guests, although taking the entities of Mills and Capurro and knowledge of their existing chat show in London, I thought the result would be verbal carnage. However instead of a diatribe of abuse, the interviews were really well structured. Capurro and Mills clearly had a lot of respect and adoration for each of their guests, and this showed another dimension to both of their personalities. This is a professional yet funny show, which is more like a big group chat show as Capurro and Mills invite total audience interaction too. Capurro throws in a bit of controversy – ‘women can’t do comedy because they have feelings” yet it’s all so tongue in cheek that even a militant feminist can’t get too pissed off. Mills’ perspective on showbizz – ‘Iit’s not all cocaine and blowjobs from Paloma Faith … you’re lucky to get a titwank from Peaches Geldof’
A fantastic way to spend an hour, in the company of two amazing men who will have you in rapturous laughter! Capurro and Mills acidly take on the world, while showcasing the best of the fest.
Brace yourselves, here come some reviews of my one persona show:
Who Are The Jocks? at the Pleasance Dome, nightly, 8 pm.
COMEDY
Scotsgay
5 STARS
Who Are The Jocks?
Pleasance Dome
When I initially read the title of this show, my initial thoughts were that it was based on the colloquial term for Scottish people. This is actually a reference to the words uttered by the Columbine High School killers, just prior to them gunning down their fellow school mates after years of bullying. I had also assumed that this year’s comedy show would be like Capurro’s others – topical humour that cuts right through the morality bone, but with a same-y feel to previous years. How wrong was I!
In some ways, it’s the same Capurro we know and love. Goading us, pushing us, shitting over every ember of moral fibre that ever existed and then taking it down a notch or two from there. There’s no topic too raw as Capurro drawls over Jesus,‘bit too toothy, that blow job, you Jewish whore … what a shame you only got nailed once’ . And as he leers at a 17 year old virgin in the audience, ‘I’ll cut you up and jack off over your corpse … there’ll be no witnesses’. And then there’s this whole other dimension as Capurro’s material, and indeed demeanor, is poignantly shaped by the death of his mother. He talks candidly about viewing his mother’s dead body; the comedy slippers the funeral home gave her – like ‘Carry on Dying’‘, the funeral, and then the dull ache of living without this person who was such a huge influence on his life (as well as his cocaine dealer).
This performance is the evolution of Capurro. He was always great – he was always the best way to spend an hour! He would always leave you with Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness for the next 48 hours after making your body spasm with laughter. Adding this emotional element to the performance has elevated it to another level, and although Capurro peppers the passing of his mother his own brand of bad, we’re still left empathising with this little-boy-lost-come-aids-ridden-paedophile-vegan-serial-killer!
These 4 STARS came from The Scotsman:
The first few rows aren’t for the faint-hearted at a Scott Capurro show, and his material isn’t for the squeamish either (Who Are The Jocks?, Pleasance Dome, ****). Capurro’s oversexed and outrageously witty persona is something he has honed over many years and many Festival appearances, but since the very recent death of his mother there’s now a sensitive and vulnerable side to his performance too.
It’s not pure catharsis, but it is moving to see such a confronting comic work through his own grief.
I ADORE Fest Magazine:
4 STARS
BY PETER GEOGHEGAN
PUBLISHED 06 AUGUST 2011
SCOTT CAPURRO
Who Are the Jocks?
Woe betide any Fringe punter who wanders into Who are the Jocks? anticipating a breezy exposition on Scotland and its characters. The jocks in Scott Capurro’s latest show aren’t the Krankies, Billy Connolly or Clare Grogan – they’re the American football players who topped the Columbine killers’ hitlist. And Capurro hasn’t come to mourn their passing.
“Controversial” has been an epithet attached to Capurro’s comedy ever since the stick-thin, nasal Californian won best newcomer at the 1994 Fringe. Now living in East London, if the one-time Mrs Doubtfire star (“I played a gay. I know, hard to picture”) has mellowed with age it doesn’t show. There are riffs on Islamic fundamentalism, Madeleine McCann and the Holocaust – and that’s just the opening salvo (by the end of which a couple of folk, perhaps expecting quips about sporrans and Nessie, have made for the exit).
Capurro might make Frankie Boyle look like Michael McIntyre but, unlike many supposedly transgressive comics, he knows his way around a gag, even if the routine in question involves simulating oral sex with Christ.
The show hinges on two events—the death of his mother and a disastrous show in Cardiff—which are woven through the gleeful tirade of offense and filth with much aplomb. But Capurro is at his best when ripping into the audience about their looks, ethnicity and preferred sexual positions. Bawdy, edged, thrillingly quick witted: slaying sacred cows is seldom this funny.
This mention is from The Quietus, which I think is sort of classy:
Pushing past the endless waves of grinning jugglers, trying-too-hard buskers and jaded London media whores, your Quietus correspondent is on a mission to find the sick, dirty, dark heart of the Fringe. This means avoiding the zany-haired Australians and sold-out posh-boy stand-ups, and instead seeking out veteran provocateurs like the London-based San Franciscan comic Capurro, whose latest Fringe show Who Are The Jocks? weaves tender reflections on his mother’s death around button-pushing jokes about incest, the Columbine massacre and rough gay sex. Great stuff.
More to come of course. These are merely a taste. Quotes and other profile bits will appear here as I scour the papers neurotically. xxx