Emo Philips and Doc Brown join stellar line-up for Amnesty show at Edinburgh Fringe
Amnesty International today announced the addition of comedy legend Emo Philips to the sensational line-up for its Stand Up For Freedom comedy show at the Edinburgh Fringe. Emo will be performing special material at the gig that even audiences at his sell-out Pleasance show aren’t able to see.
Emo Philips said:
'I'm always happy to do what I can to help political prisoners, even though it's a bit of a conflict of interest for me, as my folks were in the electric cattle prod business.'
Amnesty, producers of Stand Up For Freedom and The Secret Policeman’s Ball, also announced that rapper-turned-comedian Doc Brown (four stars, Independent) would be bringing his brilliant combination of comedy and rap to the show on Thursday 19 August at Venue 150, the EICC.
Performing alongside Emo and Doc will be John Bishop, Mark Watson, Josie Long, 2009 award-winner Tim Key, Dan Antopolski and Danielle Ward, with Fred MacAulay and Adam Hills compering the event.
This year's Stand up For Freedom show will also feature a very special guest. Michael Mittermeier, one of Germany's biggest names in stand-up comedy, is making a one-night-only appearance to help raise awareness of Amnesty's campaign for a jailed Burmese comedian.
Amnesty’s involvement with the world’s largest arts festival is based on the celebration of freedom of expression and fighting for the rights of people whose free speech is denied. This year they are campaigning for Zarganar, Burma’s top comedian, who is currently serving a 35-year jail sentence for speaking out against the government. Amnesty campaigners are out on Edinburgh’s streets this year asking festival-goers to take their own stand for freedom of expression, in solidarity with the people of Burma.
Amnesty International’s Programme Director in Scotland, John Watson, said:
'I’m really excited about Thursday’s show, adding Emo Philips and Doc Brown to the line-up for Stand Up For Freedom just makes it even stronger.
'This year’s campaign for a jailed Burmese comedian underlines why comedians have always been happy to support Amnesty. Expressing yourself is what the Fringe is all about and Amnesty’s job is to defend your right to do that, without someone throwing you in jail because they don’t like what they hear.
'Everyone coming to the EICC on the 19th will have a brilliant night, the line-up guarantees that. But they’ll also help us to pressure the Burmese government to release a comedian who has been unfairly imprisoned.'
Amnesty is also producing a series of comedy podcasts from the Edinburgh festival featuring interviews with top comedians, stand-up comedy from the Fringe and gems from Amnesty’s Secret Policeman’s Ball archive.
- Find out more about Amnesty events at the Edinburgh festival