Stanley Brooks: I Can Make Me Rich
August 3rd – 27th (not 14th), Just the Tonic at The Caves, 14:00
How a Pyramid Scheme Sales Pitch Turned into a unique Stand-Up Comedy Motivational Seminar
The (nearly) award winning comedian Stanley Brooks (aka Lewis Dunn) is coming to the Edinburgh Fringe with his (delayed) debut stand-up show about money, wealth and cash. It’s all the secrets you never knew you didn’t know about how to succeed in business, tied together with one simple truth - if you aren’t rich, it’s all your fault.
Interview with Stanley Brooks
I hate to say it, but there is an irony about having a show called 'I can male me rich' at the Edinburgh Fringe. How is the plan for financial security working out against the costs of the Fringe so far?
I'm not going to lie, it's been absolutely phenomenal. Because my show is pay what you want there is absolutely no limit to the amount of money I can make, and I’ve been working with that assumption the entire time. A flat for £5000 for a month is actually a steal when the potential income is literally infinite. I’ve even invested in multiple other shows because I don't see how this can fail. And you know, if it doesn't return huge amounts of wealth, no big deal, I'll just pick myself up and start another new identity and credit line.
What inspired the theme of the show?
The theme of the show IS inspiration, so I suppose we should ask what causes inspiration? Inspiration is nothing more than knowledge that you can do better, that within you lies the potential to change the world, or at least, your world. It's that spark in all of us that says the impossible is possible, that dreams can come true, and that we are all the forgers of our own destiny. It is also inspired by money.
Are there any entrepreneurs whom you love - or hate?
Well I do mention a few in the show that I think you should admire, but for the sake of this interview i think the entrepreneurs i most respect are the people who managed to sell twitter to Elon Musk. We all thought for years that Twitter was a social media site, but what it turns out to be is a decade long psy-op on one particular billionaire.
As for those whom I hate, well I’m not too enamoured with the current billionaires who keep going to space. It’s all very well trying to push the limits of the human experience, but unfortunately they’re all of that age that by the time they get into space they can’t remember what they went up there for in the first place, and so keep coming back down.
What is the North East comedy circuit like?
It’s very much a collection of weirdos and idiots, but you know, in a good way. Comedians around here aren’t precious or egotistical in a way that really reflects in their comedy, there’s a trust with audiences up here that you can turn up and do some of the weirdest things, and while it won’t be a guaranteed hit the audience will be honest about their reaction. It’s friendly but not sycophantic, and crucially it’s full of people who value comedy over success. Which is why they’re all such losers that need to come to my show and learn how to do actual business.
What are you hoping for at the Fringe?
I want to make sure people leave my show with the skills they need to be a success. If you just a handful of people go on to be millionaires who give me stock options down the line it will all be worth it. I also want a 5 star review and an actual award this time. I’m not kidding. I deserve an award by now.
About 9 years ago, Lewis Dunn (founding member of the 5-star, award nominated Any Suggestion, Doctor? The Improvised Doctor Who Parody) went for a job interview that claimed it would take him into the world of “direct marketing.” After a hyperactive day of “training” that promised to change his life and make him rich, the job interview revealed an unbelievable and farcical truth – it was in fact a pyramid scheme, where the poor folk who had been roped in had to convince themselves daily that riches just lay around the corner if they could only sell enough makeup bags off a table in a service station. This incident helped inspire Lewis to create the ultimate motivator, a person who could promise you the stars and deliver the moon – Stanley Brooks, the world’s only inspirator 9that’s inspire and respirator, because he breathes inspiration).
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