{"id":218171,"date":"2025-06-27T08:43:15","date_gmt":"2025-06-27T08:43:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/218171\/"},"modified":"2025-06-27T08:43:15","modified_gmt":"2025-06-27T08:43:15","slug":"paul-merton-and-suki-webster-return-to-edinburgh-fringe-festival-with-hit-improv-show","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/218171\/","title":{"rendered":"Paul Merton and Suki Webster return to Edinburgh Fringe Festival with hit improv show"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cHave I Got News for You\u201d host Paul Merton is relishing a return to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival this summer alongside his wife and fellow comedian Suki Webster. <\/strong><\/p>\n

The couple, who have become a regular highlight at the festival, will once again be fronting their celebrated improv comedy show at The Pleasance.<\/p>\n

Speaking from London ahead of their August run, Merton reflected on his long-standing relationship with the Fringe, which dates back to the 1980s.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen you first come to Edinburgh, you haven\u2019t got a great deal of money or support,\u201d Merton told Scotland Tonight.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut now we have a very loyal audience and we can really just relax and do the show. There\u2019s none of that early-career stress anymore.\u201d<\/p>\n

Webster echoed that sentiment, highlighting the festival\u2019s sense of community.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s just great fun, you run into all your friends,\u201d she said. \u201cYou might not see each other in London for months, but in Edinburgh you bump into everyone. It\u2019s like a reunion every year.\u201d<\/p>\n

Their improv show is entirely unscripted, fuelled by audience suggestions and spontaneous performances from a rotating cast of comedians.<\/p>\n

Merton describes it as \u201cexpect the unexpected,\u201d noting that no two shows are ever the same. \u201cWe have different guests every day, play different games every day. That\u2019s the fun of it \u2013 it\u2019s always fresh.\u201d<\/p>\n

Webster added that while improvisation might seem daunting, the support of trusted collaborators makes all the difference. \u201cYou\u2019re never alone on stage. If one of us goes blank, someone else picks it up. It\u2019s just like having a conversation \u2013 there\u2019s always an answer.\u201d<\/p>\n

Merton likened their stage work to playtime. He said: \u201cIt\u2019s like we never grew up. We just play. And when audiences see you having fun, they join in with the joy of it. That\u2019s what makes it special.\u201d<\/p>\n

The couple admit that not every improv show is successful, and they both acknowledge that bad improvisation can be hard to watch. But, as Merton puts it: \u201cThe beauty of improv is you can always pivot. If something\u2019s not working, you change it immediately.\u201d<\/p>\n

The couple\u2019s chemistry on stage is helped, of course, by their real-life relationship. \u201cBeing married is a plus,\u201d said Webster. \u201cYou know each other so well. You can just play together and have fun.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe get on in shows because we get on in life,\u201d added Merton. \u201cAnd what holds us together is a shared sense of humour \u2013 and a legally binding contract!\u201d<\/p>\n

The show features a stellar lineup of guests including Mike McShane of Whose Line Is It Anyway?, musical improviser Kirsty Newton, and well-known comics such as Rachel Parris, Fred MacAulay, Julian Clary, and Marcus Brigstocke.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve built up a repertoire of brilliant performers over the years,\u201d said Merton. \u201cEven if the audience doesn\u2019t know who\u2019s coming on that night, the reaction when they appear is always fantastic.\u201d<\/p>\n

The couple have even welcomed guests with no previous improv experience, including Doctor Who star David Tennant earlier this year.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe was terrified,\u201d said Webster. \u201cBut he was absolutely brilliant. We always do a little workshop beforehand to help people feel comfortable and play to their strengths.\u201d<\/p>\n

Merton agreed: \u201cThat anxiety often turns into an incredible high after the show. David Mitchell was the same. They didn\u2019t know quite what hit them, but they loved it.\u201d<\/p>\n

The key to good improv, they say, isn\u2019t just being funny, it\u2019s being a team player. \u201cIf someone\u2019s a good listener and works well with others, they\u2019ll probably take to improv really well,\u201d said Merton.<\/p>\n

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