A Sobering Look at Stress

Becca Moody talks to comics Tony Law and Eleanor Conway about managing stress with, and now without, the crutch of alcohol, and gets some good advice on staying sane from Ruby Wax

feature (edinburgh) | Read in About 5 minutes
Published 21 Jul 2019
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Tony Law

The Fringe is an stressful time for comedians who choose to sacrifice August for their craft. Edinburgh buzzes with anticipation. And a large part of that expectation lands on the doorstep of each comedian’s rented bedsit.

It’s easy to see how the allure of a beer or G&T after, or before, a late-night gig could be tempting to a strung-out comic. But those who turn to alcohol in times of stress may find themselves relying on it more during the Fringe.

'That comic is so weird… they must be off their face on drink/drugs.' We’ve all heard something along these lines. Sometimes the ideas are so unpredictable and surreal that we can’t quite comprehend where they might have come from. Such assumptions seem unfair as they disregard the performer’s own imagination and creativity. But what if the comedian on stage is drunk?

During the time Tony Law was drinking, up until around 2016, his comedy felt perilous. Although entertaining and funny in the most unpredictable of ways, something about Law remained unattainable. We were permitted a glimpse into his psyche but never shown the full picture. Law kept his audience at arm’s length, choosing to bewilder us with his charismatic volatility rather than be truly vulnerable on stage. 

These days, Law’s shows are still packed with absurd, whimsical stories and foghorn impressions. In fact, the most noticeable changes aren’t found within the material, but in Law’s demeanour and attitude towards himself. Now sober, Law admits that his alcoholism had a significant effect on his comedy: "I can’t lie," he says, "once in a while it quelled the nerves and instilled the festive spirit in me. I created in spite of the booze. It only ever allowed your guard to drop and be brave and uninhibited, letting out what is already in there.

"When I drank I was funny as fuck though for about 45 minutes. For two years at a time. Then again, I might have been ten times funnier if sober and sorted."

Uninhibited, certainly. Funny? Undeniably. But being drunk on stage damaged Law’s comedy too: "It ruined my connectedness and quickness to engage and react and inhabit the 'character' of Tony Law." This is what I had noticed from around 2013–2016 as an avid Law fan. It almost felt as though the absurdist comedian was performing behind a glass wall. 

August's party atmosphere can be problematic for comics dependent on alcohol, which Law acknowledges: "As an alcoholic you put yourself in places where drinking isn’t only acceptable but encouraged, and certainly the festival used to provide that. I suppose the excitement led to an increase in consumption. Between 2009 and 2014 I did my show at noon to stay away from drinkers and I kept myself sober-ish. That was around the time of the birth of my children so it looked like I was going to be a pretty solid guy there for a while."

Eleanor Conway, who opened up about her struggles with addiction in her 2017 show, Walk of Shame, agrees: "Every night can be a party night at the Fringe, and no one bats an eyelid. It’s a license to get wasted."

Conway noticed that drinking caused her comedic creativity to suffer. In fact, she believes that her comedy only started doing well once she quit drinking entirely: "I don't think drunk me on stage is a performance that’s worth seeing. It’s a bit of a car crash."

A savvy comedy audience will know when a performer isn’t being genuine. Drunkenness stops a performer from being vulnerable on stage, which stops us being able to build a relationship with them. Since becoming sober, Conway has found herself becoming more connected with her audiences: "The honesty I have around my sobriety has filtered into my comedy and that’s what my audiences come to see. I’m no-holds-barred truth and I’ve inspired others to be truthful about their own addictions… If I’m slightly scared about what I’m talking about, then I know it’s going to be good."

For Law, sobriety brought self-consciousness, with his performances becoming "insecure and low status. Whiney". But this didn’t stick: "I’d say during the last year [three years after quitting] I’ve now finally got funny again. Much, much more connected now."

Comedian and mental health campaigner Ruby Wax recognises the excruciating pressures comedians can feel during the Fringe: "If you’re young and really trying to make it, and there’s ten thousand other people doing the same thing, that would be a nightmare situation. I’d say it’s pretty stressful. But if you want to be a comedian, you should get used to it, because it’s going to be pretty anxiety-making."

It seems that it’s about trusting yourself to make the right decisions for you. As Wax says: "If you’re twenty years old, you can get drunk every night if you’re not an alcoholic. If you’re above thirty then I’d say watch it. Maybe cut down on the alc."

It seems that the true bravery in getting sober is about looking yourself in the eye and being truly honest with yourself. Wax’s final advice is beneficial to every single Fringe-goer this year: "Go up to Arthur’s seat, and sit."