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"Genius"

        - Kate Copstick 19th Aug 2017

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In 2017, Helen broke new ground and did something that had never been done before in 70 years of Edinburgh Fringe history... and hasn't (yet) been done since. 

Using the medium of Periscope live streaming, she performed an entire run of Fringe shows (23 dates, 1 hour show) which were completely unscripted and relied entirely on audience interaction from both viewers online's comments and those in the live venue audience.  Members of the audience could also download the app and comment/heckle in the periscope comments. 

Helen's natural quick wit ensured that no two shows were the same. 

Helen explains,

 

"from a technical point of view, I can understand why no-one else would want to do it.  It's completely reliant on the internet and my venue changed internet providers the week before the fringe started!  Setting up the tech, turning the room around in a 10 minute gap between acts was really tricky and stressful.  The show itself was hard to explain to people.  Live streaming by performers may have come into it's own in the wake of Covid lockdown, but in 2017 no-one involved in the Edinburgh Fringe in terms of reviewers and the like, had heard of Periscope.  So trying to explain the concept to 'Fringey people' was difficult, I was looked at in disbelief as if I was mad! And Periscope people didn't really know what EdFringe was..... it really was a meeting of two different worlds!"

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Renowned Fringe blogger and half of the Grouchy Club, John Fleming came along one day and wrote this:

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   "In the afternoon, I took the plunge and went to Helen Wallace’s Up Periscope at Southside Social.

She claims it is the only Fringe show which can (and has) had one member in the audience and 1,200      people watching.

She livestreams it on Periscope, interacting with the live audience in the room (today, well into double figures) and with the online audience. More complicated than it sounds. Very well handled by her. And ripe for development in future years."

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Kate Copstick, the famous reviewer from The Scotsman called the show and it's concept "Genius". Helen Laughs,

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"That was good enough for me! A return to the Fringe is perfectly possible. So many crazy unbelievable things have happened on and as a result of the Periscope app, there may well be another Fringe show... there may even be a book! Only time will tell!" 

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Helen also occasionally sings and fronted a band in her late teens for a short period of time.  Every so often she's called upon by musicians to lay vocals down on a song.  Most notably a cover of "Man of Two Worlds" by Ultravox for a covers competition.  The female vocal part, sung on the original track by Mae McKenna was in Gaelic. Helen explains, 

"I don't speak Gaelic, so had to learn this phonetically. But must have done an ok job as Mae McKenna liked it and messaged me on MySpace. Yup, MySpace... that's going back a bit eh?"

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The cover was first runner up in the competition.

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