ZOE THE BALL

Ordinary Decent Criminal Sam and I have decided to put "Ordinary Decent Criminal" at the top of our Edinburgh 2025 blog journey because of the outstanding performance by the usually comic Mark Thomas, who in this play proved to be an outstanding actor. This single-handed play by Ed Edwards was specially written with Mark in mind to play the role, and what a great decision that was. Mark warned the audience before the performance began that his voice was failing him, and so we should lean in to hear him. What came next was a lesson in acting that all aspiring actors should study if they get the chance. Obviously, as a one-man show, Mark played the many characters without fault; the audience was in no doubt which character was in front of them at any particular moment. There was also no sign that Mark's voice was anything but perfect. In addition to his acting performance, Mark was also the stagehand moving large props from scene to scene and back again. Mark received a wel...

Paul Foot was in Edinburgh with his show DISSOLVE, Sam was excited to go and see Paul after seeing his Shire Horse set on YouTube, so he had booked the show well in advance of our arrival in Edinburgh. Paul has a unique look dressed in a green jumpsuit which was apt and I loved it as he bounced onto the stage with great vigor, he then jumped into the audience to their surprise, and continued to bounce around to everyone's delight as he ad-libbed and interrogated them up close, some got more of Paul than they had bargained for. Paul's approach to comedy is surreal in nature, giving the audience an idea of how he sees the world, delivered in a delightfully unique manic way. The name of the show was Dissolve, and he did mention that he had an epiphany that he could not explain why he had reached a level of happiness he had not known before while driving in his car, and that the angst that had dogged him all his life was suddenly Dissolved in an instant, it left me in awe of the hu...

 Sam was insistent that I broaden my horizons and delve into some comedy culture and that manifested itself in the guise of the comic poet and artist John Hegley. John was performing at The Summer Hall, a delightful collection of buildings positioned at one end of The Meadows, that used to be part of the Veterinary School. The venue was apt for John's performance as it was entitled, "Do Horses Have Teeth, Sir?", and obviously a Vet could tell you the correct answer to this. John's performance was a mixture of drawings he had done and explanations of why he had drawn them and what they were about, sometimes explained in the form of a poem or a song. He insisted on audience participation, to which the audience was happy to oblige and much laughter ensued. My horizons were definitely broadened. You can buy his hilarious books  HERE You can find more about John at his website  www.johnhegley.co.uk John and I are shown here beautifully backlit.

 She is a star of the hit comedy program "Not Going Out" but here she is out and about in Edinburgh catching up with her friends. The multitalented writer, actor, and comedian Katy Wix currently writing something marvelous for production. Sorry we don't know who her friend is pictured here, but obviously happy to see me and maybe Katy too. If he is outrageously famous please drop me a line and we will put a p.s. on this, if he is not well known please let us know and I will have a restraining order put on him.......... Joking as all are welcome here (great smile). Katy, Me, and Him?

 Sitting on his throne outside The Paretree Pub at 38 W Nicolson St, Edinburgh EH8 9DD is The King of Comedy, he is there rain or shine, holding court for the citizens who require a good laugh. People from all over the world come to pay homage, and he shows them when and where to queue to see the Free shows he has arranged in the two comedy venues there, 32 Below and The Counting House. Find out what comedy shows will be on for free at  www.freefestival.co.uk The King and I

 Early one morning I was happy to see this Italian dad strolling down the street in Edinburgh singing to his son on his first birthday.  One-year-old boy on his birthday with Dad and me. The next birthday boy I think was a little older than one but still as happy to celebrate with his wife. Birthday boy and wife Edinburgh 2024

 As I enjoyed "Frankenstein On A Budget", I wanted to see another fun show with music, and the answer was "The Emu War", a musical expertly written by Lotte Pearl. The Music was also excellently written and played by Toby Little, who, when Sam asked if he did requests when we entered the theater, he replied yes and played something without delay or music in front of him, what a genius! The musical was comical but also based on a true story, and the young cast all performed flawlessly with great acting and singing. They proved the future of musicals is safe in this new generation's hands. If you get a chance to see this production, do so before these young talents are snapped up by the big West End shows. Find out more about The Emu War at  linktr.ee/theemuwarmusical The Emu War Cast and Me

 All the time Sam and I were in Edinburgh we felt safe as the festival was so well organized, I felt even more secure when I met this security guard, I called him "The big beautiful bouncer", but being a ball I would say that! My Big Beautiful Bouncer I felt like I was in the hand of a beautiful Bear

 David 'O'Doherty is undoubtedly the King of funny stories told with the aid of a small Casio piano, as he filled the 500-seater theatre, night after night throughout August in Edinburgh, but there are pretenders to the throne coming from Canada and Australia. Find out what David is doing at  www.davidodoherty.com David and Me Canadian, Dion Owen Musical Cyclist and Comic with Me Find out more about Dion at  www.dionowen.com Aidan Jones, Australian Serious Chopin's Nocturne in Eb Major Musical Comic with Me Find out more about Aidan at  www.aidanjonescomedy.com

 As Sam said we should see a mixture of types of acts while in Edinburgh as all were available here, like nowhere else in the world, we decided to see an unlikely comedy, "Frankenstine On A Budget". This was no low-quality show however as it is steeped in the traditions of Musichall and Pantomime comedy delightfully performed by Tom Fox. Sam said Tom's performance reminded him of the great late Ken Dodd, with his slapstick timed to perfection, his amazing facial contortions on a par with the great Ken, and also a great singing voice. I also got carried away with the fun antics within the show and when the audience was asked to participate by throwing balls at the monster, I could not resist and threw myself on stage hitting him straight in the mush. I was delighted to be on stage in a supporting role, as it made up for my disappointment when with "The Streets", being center stage is for me the reason to bounce. Tom was not alone in this production, he was more t...

 I thought all comedians were clambering to be in full view of their adoring fans, but I found one that just wanted to hide behind me, and he's no TurKey (clue)?  ANSWER

 Sam and I were in the Pleasance Courtyard when Sam said "There is Sue Perkins, star of stage and screen", I had no idea who she was but before I could ask who is she? Sam had asked her for a photograph with me and after a short summary of my life so far she agreed, what a game girl, happy to have her picture taken with a complete stranger. As she had been so nice to Sam and me we decided to go and see her work-in-progress standup at The Grand, we managed to get front-row seats, so my view was excellent. I did not know Sue before, but I did get to know a great amount about her due to her show, she is very honest and talked about the many roles she had on TV and her personal life, sharing all with the audience. Sue encapsulated all her stories in a comedy bow. It was very funny but also touching, and it is a must-see as she prepares to tour the UK. Find her shows at  sueperkinslive.co.uk

 Although Phil Nice is nice by name and very nice by nature, the nicest comedian I have met while in Edinburgh is the one and only Rosie Jones, she is filled with so much enthusiasm for life, that when she held me I could feel it run right through me, what a wonderful human being. If everyone had a little of Rosie's zest, the world would be a much better place. Find out more about Rosie on her website  rosiejonescomedy.com Rosie and Me

 The first thing that Sam wanted me to see, was some comedy and we should see what he called a banker, that was an act that could guarantee to stretch our giggle muscle. He said Arthur Smith and Phil Nice were such an act as they had been in the entertainment business for as long as he could remember. We went to the Cabaret Bar in the Pleasance Courtyard, a wonderful venue with all the hustle and bustle of a comedy fairground with people drinking and laughing all around, I felt at home. Phil and Arthur had been a double act many years before but had split and had their own individual careers, but now they were back with a show based around the split and their coming together once more. Their show was a display of great comedy timing, both professionally well-written with parts of great soul-searching and drama combined with educational multilingual parts, and silly humor. It was a display of two men at peak performance just enjoying themselves being together once again, I loved it....

 Today Sam says we are going to the Edinburgh Festival as it is a fun place for me to recuperate after my traumatic experience. He also says it would be a good place to network and for me to work out what direction I wanted my career to take art, music, theatre, or comedy. We set off in Sam's campervan to Edinburgh to start my new life. Sam has been to the festival many times over the years and seems to know where to go and what to do.

 I sat in a literal pit of despair at the front of the now-empty stage, with no band or fans. I was alone! Suddenly I heard a voice shout out to the roadies, "Can I have the beach ball in the pit?", "Yes sure", was the reply, "We were just going to throw it out into the rubbish anyway, it's yours mate!", I felt two hands gently pick me up, and I felt safe. It was Sam who picked me up, he explained he had been in the audience and had seen what had happened to me, he said that he could see I had potential and he did not like good talent to go to waste. From then on I agreed that Sam could be my manager for a thirty percent fee, which seemed reasonable to me.

 Everything was going well, I was very confident that Mike Skinner the main rapper/vocalist knew what he was doing, he explained the plan to the fans when he kicked me into them, they were to jump up and down, dance and I would surf majestically across them. Mike is a master of his craft he faked kicking me several times, and the crowd went wild, I was excited! The set lasted two hours and I was wondering when I would be able to go surfing, then right at the end Mike finally kicked me, it was here, my time to shine, I felt the force of his shoe propel me through the air, but I am a beach ball by design and made very light and so a gust of wind took hold of me and I fell unceremoniously into the safety pit at the front of the stage. To this day, I don't know if the band intended to leave me there, or if they just forgot about me in all the adrenalin-fueled excitement, but there I was left in the cold as the crowds drifted away.

 In early August 2024, I joined The Streets as their warm-up act, it was my job to get the fans jumping and dancing as I surfed the crowd. Kendal Calling, a huge and wonderful music festival in the north of England was my first gig and I was so excited to be a member of such an influential and iconic UK band, I was really looking forward to surfing the thousands of fans that were there. Everything was going to plan as you can see me center stage in the video clip below.

  Hello, I am Zoe The Ball, my blog is about how I fell from grace in one of the UK's biggest bands, "The Streets", to being kicked out onto the literal street, and my eventual bounce back to become a spokes ball for saving the planet.