George Egg

Chequer Mead Theatre, East Grinstead, October 4 and Chichester Festival, Chichester, November 7

IF YOU like the sound of a show that blends cooking and comedy, George Egg is the comic for you. The Brighton performer has taken Edinburgh Fringe by storm with his latest production. He speaks to Jamie Walker about what people can expect.

Have you ever gone hungry because you were not happy with the quality of the meal on a train or aeroplane?

If so, comedian George Egg is here to help out.

His new show, like all his others, blends comedy with making meals in unusual ways.

This year, with his Movable Feast show, George is diving into making food on the move.

His unconventional cooking methods have made him a smash hit, not just at Edinburgh Fringe but across the country.

He said the show is looking sharp – as is the food: “I did previews of the show at the Brighton Fringe earlier this year and it couldn’t have gone better.

“It’s me cooking food using unconventional methods.

“This time it’s making food on the move – cooking on trains, at airports and on a car engine.

“I make the food live, the ultimate test of multi-tasking, and then if the audience want to try any of the dishes they are free to do so at the end of the show.

“In this show one of the things I’m cooking with is a cement mixer.

“I think that has to be the craziest as it really is utterly unnecessary.

“But it’s so much fun and it looks and sounds great.”

George uses an eclectic mix of cooking equipment that you wouldn’t find in your everyday kitchen and says the most fun part of creating his shows is thinking about which items he will use to cook with.

He has three different shows under his belt but still doesn’t think he has reached his limit of what can be used as cooking apparatus.

He said: “This is my third show cooking without a kitchen and I dare say I’m getting rather adept at it.

“While the format is similar the material, methods and menu are always brand new.”

While many chefs use their own kitchens to test new food items before rolling them out to the public, George has no such luxury. He said: “Ordinarily I’d say I test them in my house, but since this show is about cooking on the move a lot of the testing has actually been on the road.

“I couldn’t do a show about cooking with a car without having actually cooked on a car.

“I’ve been sticking various ingredients in different places under my bonnet for the last six months to see what works the best.

“To do a show like this you need to practise a lot and I have, but I suppose there’s a small chance of the food not coming out quite right.

“As it’s a comedy show I could just pass any failures off as part of the silliness, but I have every confidence they’ll come out perfect every time.”

George is currently in Edinburgh, wrapping up his final shows as part of the Fringe festival.

He said there was something remarkable about what the festival brings to the city.

He said: “I love the chaos.

“It’s so busy, and so hectic, and so seemly bonkers and disorganised and yet, through the love and passion of everyone involved it somehow tessellates together and runs like a reasonably well-oiled machine.”

When his Fringe run closes on Sunday, George will be taking some much needed-time to relax before taking his Movable Feast across the country.

This will include a couple of shows in Sussex, with more to come in 2020.

For tickets to George’s shows or more information visit www.anarchistcook.info.