Taking a show to the Edinburgh Fringe is a risky business, one that typically involves throwing thousands of pounds to the wind and seeing where it falls. Even shows that sell out lose money, and the pressure from performers’ accommodation costs have by many accounts soared this year.
Timandra Harkness, writer, comedian, statistician and presenter of BBC Radio 4’s ‘Future Proofing’ and ‘How to Disagree’ is an expert on chancy ventures. She’s a motorcyclist and former trapeze artist who has ridden bulls in Texas, crossed the Channel on a microlight, and studied the science of choosing a urinal.
Timandra Harkness: Take a Risk offers an informed and provocative introduction to the concepts of risk and probability – the lottery of life in matters social, financial, physical and emotional. An associated podcast https://takeariskshow.podbean.com/ sees her take on experts on the risks of radiation from Chernobyl, dodgy railway bridges and grumbly volcanoes.
In a society so focussed on reducing risk, we often forget that not all risks demand a bad outcome. She invites the audience to choose their own risks to win laughs and demonstrate the meaning of probability, sometimes with shocking consequences. Be warned: it is highly unlikely that two shows will ever be the same.
Assembly Roxy Downstairs 11.15 am
Until 25 August
