While I’m a big fan of the Fringe, it’s always good to see smaller festivals flourishing, and Fringe By The Sea is bigger than ever since its inception in 2008. A host of big names have been drawn to North Berwick over the years, many from the main Fringe itself; now it’s the turn of Great Pottery Throw Down judge Keith Brymer Jones.
It’s perhaps unsurprising that throughout the interview, Keith is sitting at a wheel casually throwing pots, though he often gets up to pace the stage and address the audience with one of his many anecdotes. His autobiographical hour takes in a childhood of kindly art teachers (with scant regard for health and safety), overcoming bullying, and his tough apprenticeship that included some cruel punishments for daring to ask for a lunch break…
There’s been a lot of hard graft in Keith’s career, but there’s a lighter side to it all; his secret punk singer past (featuring a famous doorman) is explored, as is the Adele parody that led to TV stardom. But he’s remained grounded and passionate about paying it forward. The new pottery he’ll be opening in Wales- as seen on recent Channel 4 show Our Welsh Chapel Dream – will be hiring apprentices to train up the next generation of potters, an admirable move.
He’s an incredibly compelling and charismatic speaker, and every tangent he strikes off on is fascinating. It’s clear he’s enthusiastic about the power of creativity to boost mental health as well as kickstart jobs. Art in school is paramount, he says, to give children the chance to express themselves.
And yes, Keith cried several times, but expressing emotions on primetime has had positive effects. A military veteran explained to him that the sight of a man crying inspired him to take up pottery to improve his mental health. Not a bad achievement for a clay-slinging ex-punk.
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