Nina Gilligan returns to the Fringe with a new show called Goldfish covering themes of women’s health, memory, things she can’t remember and incidents she would rather forget.
What’s the background to your new show?
I have had disabling migraine for 18 years and I also have a chronic pain condition called Fibromyalgia. Both these conditions cause memory loss and sufferers may be familiar with ‘brain fog’ and a condition called Transient Aphasia. My language skills are often affected, and this is a funny look at how I circumnavigate these challenges and attitudes to our experience both in health and criminal justice.
Women’s health conditions are historically rooted in misunderstanding and subsequently the treatment of women has ranged from the hilarious to the terrifying: from having our wombs coaxed back into their correct positions like frightened kittens to being burned as witches.
Although no longer on trial as heretics, women still struggle with misunderstanding when it comes to their pain and often struggle to be taken seriously. Fibromyalgia affects over two million women, but it is surrounded in misunderstanding and stigmatised as a ‘disease of the nervous system’ and only existing in our feminine imagination, despite the fact that many women are experiencing severe disability and a three-fold risk of suicide.
Research now suggests that Fibromyalgia is linked to suppressed rage and, in the show, I share an incident that happened to me that has caused me a lot of anger, but you will have to come and watch the show to find out what that was. There are lots of laughs and my hope is that it will really resonate with women who have ever felt not taken seriously – that’s all of us, right?
How does it feel to be returning to the Edinburgh Fringe?
I am both excited and nervous.
I get a huge sense of satisfaction when I complete an Edinburgh run. It is a hard month, but I love being around my comedy pals and my son lives in Edinburgh so it’s lovely for me to have family around.
I love the city, I lived there for four years so it’s a home from home and the energy of the festival is electric.
I am nervous about it because of my health. I have learned I only have so many ‘spoons’, a term people with fatigue conditions use to describe their energy allowance. I know I have to pace myself. I have to get enough rest. You probably won’t see me in The Loft at 4.00am.
Have you got any tips for comedians going up to the festival for the first time?
First enjoy because you have worked hard to get here and you deserve it, especially if you are making real sacrifices, money, time away from your family. I know that’s hard so enjoy being part of this incredible arts festival.
You can do that by running your own race and not worrying about how well you think you are doing compared to other people, just have faith in your show. You can only control certain things. Do the things you are meant to do like flyering or going to events.
Take time out, go and see something crazy that isn’t comedy so that you get out of the bubble. Eat green things and take Vitamin C. Be happy for other people’s successes. It will all be over in a month and it will be forgotten about, Edinburgh has the memory of a Goldfish.
Nina Gilligan new show Goldfish is at the Just The Tonic Sub-Atomic at the Nucleus @ 8.40pm. Book tickets here. Photo credit – Steve Ullathorne.
