World-class wrestlers meet world-class comedians. Ahead of one of the most talked about shows at the 2011 Edinburgh Fringe, Emma McAlpine talks to its creators Max and Ivan.
Sometimes, you’ll be studying the Edinburgh Fringe guide and a show will leap out at you that is so daring, so crazy and so unique that all sorts of questions form in your head. Is this just a great concept? Will it work in practice? Will the acts involved adapt well to the concept?
On August 15th, for one night only, comedy duo Max Olesker (formerly the youngest pro wrestler in the UK) and Ivan Gonzalez will hold a wrestling spectacular in the 770-seat Pleasance Grand arena. Uniting some of the circuit’s best comedians with world-class wrestlers, there will be singles matches, tag team matches and a final 6-man tag match to decide the ultimate winner in the battle of Good vs Evil. After a rain-soaked photo shoot of biblical proportions in Regent’s Park open air gym, I headed to a nearby café with the boys to get some of my questions answered...
So, first things first, how did the idea come about?
Max: When I was younger I did a lot of wrestling. After university I ran some live wrestling shows, which were a lot of fun and got a superb response from the locals who’d never seen anything like it. It was the first instance of putting wrestling in front of a non-wrestling crowd and it worked.
Ivan: We'd just done a show at the Pleasance and we were chatting about the idea of a comedy wrestling match with Ryan Taylor (comedy programmer at the Pleasance Theatre) and some other comedians including Colin Hoult. They got excited and the ball started rolling from there. We pestered Ryan about it some more the next day and he said "Let’s do this but if we do it, let’s make it big and let's make it amazing."
Which wrestlers have you got on board?
Max: We’ve got Pac - the man that gravity forgot, making a rare UK appearance over from Japan; our star attraction, Mark Haskins, who’s just been signed to TNA, probably the 2nd biggest wrestling formation in the world; Johnny Moss, the top UK heavyweight who looks like The Thing from the Fantastic Four; Rishi Ghosh, a Prince of Mumbai and Dan the Hammerhead, who has a metal plate in his forehead.
And will you be dividing the wrestlers and the comics up?
Max: Yes, Rishi Ghosh will be in a tag team match with Tom 'Explosenthal' Rosenthal against Dan Hammerhead and The Mighty Thor, God of Thunder (a new Colin Hoult character). He's got big hopes for his hammer but we've had to manage his expectations. Angelos Epithemiou, who is very excited, will manage Colin and Hammerhead.
Ivan: Be warned, he said he wants to meddle so he could be stepping into the ring as well. Rich Fulcher is the other manager.
So some comics taking part won’t be wrestling?
Max: Exactly. Loads of people wanted to get involved so we’ve devised different roles for everyone. Brendon Burns was the first comedian to get on board.
He’s not even taking a show to Edinburgh this year is he?
Max: No, he’s doing this because he's a huge wrestling fan. There will be a good team and an evil team and you'll find out who will prevail on the night. Brendon will be commentating for the villains and Andrew Maxwell will be commentating ringside for the good guys. Unlike most live shows you'll be able to hear the commentary all the way through.
Ivan: Nick Helm is our ring announcer and Matt Crosby (of sketch group Pappy's) will be a roving reporter interviewing the guys.
It sounds like you’ve got the perfect comics lined up to play those parts!
Max: Yeah, we' thought about the archetypes and who will work best in what role. Adam Riches is the captain of the evil team (he'll be some sort of sleazy Vegas promoter character) and Russell Kane is the captain of the good team, a publicist of some kind. Jess Ransom will play Adam Riches' gum-chewing Vegas slutbag.
So who's your money on?
Max: Rosenthal's a wily one but Colin Hoult is purebred insanity. If his hammer were to go missing…things might go badly.
And who will you be facing?
Max: I’ll be in the final 6-man tag, with Pat ‘The Cuddler’ Monahan and Pac, taking on Humphrey Ker of The Penny Dreadfuls, all 6'7” of him, Jonny Moss and one more wrestler.
Have you been training like mad?
Max: Yeah, I’m returning to the ring after quite a few years, so I've been training with a genius called Pete Fraser four times a week. The muscle memory has kicked in but it's more about being fit enough to do it - I’m being pushed to the limit.
Ivan: I should probably mention here that Max has spilled balsamic vinegar on his crotch.
Max: More napkins please!
Ivan - have you been sympathy training?
Ivan: Yeah…no.
Max: Ivan isn’t allowed to lose weight, we can’t say anything more than that.
Ivan: All you need to know is that this is going to be a ridiculous one off night of mayhem and you’re gonna walk out of there and think "I'm so glad I saw that."
Max: In terms of capacity, this is going to be one of the biggest wrestling shows of all time. The Pleasance Grand is like the Madison Square Gardens of Edinburgh. I can’t think of anything else to add to that really.
Ivan: How about some more balsamic for your trousers?
The Wrestling is at the Pleasance Grand, Pleasance Courtyard on Monday August 15th, at 11pm. Roll up, roll up.
Photo credit: Alex Brenner
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