Anna Emerson and Lizzie Bates' Edinburgh Fringe Shows Delight Critics

Blake Friedmann clients Lizzie Bates and Anna Emerson have taken solo shows to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, where they have been earning glowing reviews.

Anna's show, 'An Evening with Patti DuPont', is described as 'a parody of the fawning biopic or celebrity documentary which is wholly on point; her attention to detail is exquisitely ludicrous, and just when anecdotes about barbiturates and an accidental marriage threaten to reach a crescendo of ridiculousness, it’s all reined back in.' **** The List) 
St Johns, Space 2, until 24 Aug (not 12), 8.45pm, free.

Lizzie, in 'Reprobates', 'is excellent at comically portraying very posh English women. Imagine Penelope Keith after a small line of speed and a hamper full of props.' (Chortle) 

'She bristles with an energy that never lets up, creating a sense of intimacy and camaraderie with her audience, making them an integral part of her show.' **** (Three Weeks)
Pleasance Courtyard, until 25 Aug, 3pm, £9–10 (£8–9).

Click on the show titles above for information about venues and ticketing.

For British Comedy Guide roundups of press and reviews for each show, please click the links below:

Lizzie Bates' REPROBATES
Anna Emerson's AN EVENING WITH PATTI DUPONT

Catch BFLA Authors at the Edinburgh Festivals

Tickets are now on sale for Edinburgh International Book Festival and you can see several Blake Friedmann authors there this August.

Edward Carey will be appearing at the festival twice. On 9 August he will be talking with Nathan Filer and Matthew Quick about creating characters in fiction. On 10 August he will be talking to children about his IREMONGER trilogy. The second in the trilogy, FOULSHAM, is published on 7 August. Explore Foulsham on Edward’s website.

On 15 August, Monique Roffey will be talking with Neel Mukherjee. Their conversation will explore the different ways their books address idealistic young men railing against their societies. Monique’s latest novel, HOUSE OF ASHES, is published on 24 July. See more on Monique’s website.

Rohan Gavin is running a reading workshop on THE HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES, Sherlock Holmes’s most famous case, on 19 August. The second novel in his KNIGHTLEY AND SON series, KNIGHTLEY AND SON: K-9, published on 14 August, also features a hound or two… See more on knightleyandson.com.

Zakes Mda is appearing on 19 August as part of the Voices from South Africa series to talk about his novels, including his most recent book THE SCULPTORS OF MAPUNGUBWE.

Margie Orford talks with Parker Bilal about African crime fiction and her novel WATER MUSIC, the fifth featuring detective Clare Hart, on 20 August. See more on Margie’s website.

On 25 August, Kerry Hudson talks with Simon Van Booy about her new novel THIRST and love stories. Find out more on Kerry’s Website.

Many of our writers also have shows as part of the Edinburgh fringe festival.

Andrew Doyle is performing his stand up show Zero Tolerance at the Stand this year from 30 July – 24 August. He will also be performing in a play called Outings at the Gilded Balloon, which explores many true life stories of people coming out, and runs from 30 July – 25 August.

Anna Emerson and Lizzie Bates of the Boom Jennies both have shows at the Fringe. Anna Emerson presents “An Evening With Patti DuPont” from 1-24 August. Lizzie Bates’ comedy show Reprobates runs from 30 July – 25 August. You can read more about the shows here.

The Edinburgh Festival is one of the largest Arts events in the world and takes place for three weeks every August in Scotland’s capital city.

New Live Show Dates for Lizzie Bates and Anna Emerson of The Boom Jennies

We're delighted to let you know that Anna Emerson and Lizzie Bates, two members of all-female sketch and character comedy group, The Boom Jennies, both have exciting solo shows coming up on the Edinburgh Fringe (click here and here for details).

They will also be staging London previews in the run-up to the Festival. Details of these are below, and more details of the Edinburgh Fringe shows will follow.

Get your tickets now - and when you've seen the show, don't forget to tweet @BFLAgency and let us know how much you enjoyed it!

Lizzie Bates' show, REPROBATES:

Riotous character comedy from Bafta Rocliffe winner 2013 and member of critically-acclaimed sketch group The Boom Jennies (BBC Radio 4). Meet Paula, who won't get out of her neighbour's hot tub for love nor money, Hildegard, the Swiss finishing school mistress with a fetish for fast food, and Judith, the doctor's receptionist who won't let patients past without a thumb war. Packed with endearing everyday rebels, this is a bold, ballsy and highly-anticipated debut - not to be missed. ‘Future of British Comedy' (Bafta). 'Delightfully silly' (Daily Telegraph). ***** 'Hilarious' (Argus). 'A big future' (Guardian).

Tuesday 24th June
The Hen and Chickens
9pm

Tuesday 8th July
The Water Poet 
8pm

Sunday 20th July
The Hen and Chickens
9.30pm

*NEW DATE ADDED*: Monday 21st July
COG ARTSpace
7.30pm

[NB - tentative show date at the Water Poet on 22nd July now cancelled]
 

Anna Emerson's show, AN EVENING WITH PATTI DUPONT:

Join 84-year-old Hollywood legend Patti DuPont (149 films, nine husbands, five facelifts) for an intimate hour of chat, music and candid tales from 65 years in show business. Famed for her wit, indiscretion and tiny hands, the Oscar-worthy star of When Nuns Go Bad, Jelly at Midnight and Doglady promises an unforgettable evening. A joyfully inventive hour packed with blackly comic surprises, created by Anna Emerson of The Boom Jennies (BBC Radio 4). ‘Future British comedy star’ (Bafta). ‘A big future’ (Guardian). ‘Hilarious’ ***** (Argus). ‘Be blown away’ ***** (ScotsGay Magazine). Click here for further information.

Friday 27th June
The Hen and Chickens
7.30pm

Tuesday 15th July
Big Red Comedy
8pm

Saturday 19th July
Canal Cafe Theatre
7.30pm

Tuesday 22nd July
Etcetera Theatre
8pm

The Boom Jennies' MISSION IMPROBABLE Series 2 starts Weds 28th May, BBC Radio 4

Don't miss the start of Series 2 of MISSION IMPROBABLE, written by and starring the fabulous Boom Jennies - the first episode will transmit tomorrow (Wednesday 28th May) at 11pm on BBC Radio 4:

Jane Roberts' (Catriona Knox) career in journalism has stalled. Wanting a high-profile, hard-hitting crime column in which she revives and then solves long since given-up-on cold cases, all she gets offered is the chance to review a spa in the Himalayas for a minor fitness magazine.

Lucy (Lizzie Bates) is delighted and desperate to come along in order to lose weight for her forthcoming school reunion. Amelia (Anna Emerson) is in too, as she is desperate to see a real life tiger in the wild. So a reluctant Jane and her excited companions head for India and find themselves in a yoga class.

Inevitably Lucy falls heavily and inappropriately in love with their highly bendy instructor and tries to get him to notice her by noisily running through a series of stretches directly in his eye-line. Jane is also intrigued by him too. She recognises him from somewhere. When all this attention spooks the instructor, he makes a run for it and the team set off in hot pursuit - a pursuit which will see them journey on trains, in a rickshaw and into an extremely close encounter with a fully grown tiger.

Click here for more information. To stream it live at 11pm tomorrow, click here or catch it on iPlayer afterward.

Written by Anna Emerson, Lizzie Bates and Catriona Knox.

Produced by Dave Lamb and Richie Webb, a Top Dog Production for Radio 4.

Lizzie Bates and Anna Emerson head to New York TV Festival

Our screenwriting clients, Lizzie Bates and Anna Emerson, are heading to New York, having been selected by BAFTA and Rocliffe to showcase their work at the television festival there. The pair co-write, and are two thirds of sketch comedy group The Boom Jennies.

At the New York Television Festival, Anna and Lizzie will have some of their work performed by actors at the BAFTA Rocliffe New Writing Forum, chaired by Greg Daniels (showrunner of The Office and co-creator of Parks & Recreation).

You can read more about the event here - we're very happy for them both and hope they have a fantastic trip!