An Interview with Viviane Ford

In Edinburgh right now, & preaching the joys of Cryptocurrency, is the ebullient Vivian Ford

Hello Viviane, can you tell us where you’re from, & where you are living today?
Hi Mumble! I’m from the US and am currently living in Brooklyn, New York.

When did you first realise you were an entertainer?
When I was 5, I was holding a tennis ball while on a walk with my family and I asked, “Dad? Is a tennis ball heavy?” He responded, “no not at all” and I followed up with “great so you can hold it then”. I saw this shocked look in his eye and then he just burst out laughing.

You’ve got three famous performers (dead or alive) coming round for dinner. Who would they be & what would you cook; starters, mains & dessert?
Audrey Hepburn, Gene Kelly, and Amy Poehler. I think that would be a fabulous dinner table. I’m no chef though so I would have to keep it basic. An easy salad for starters, I can cook a mean ratatouille (one of the only things I can cook), and…store bough ice cream? The conversation will be so good, no one will remember the food. Or at least, that’s the hope.

You’re bringing a show to this year’s Edinburgh Fringe, what are you adding to the table?
I’m one of the first shows at the Fringe to be about both crypto and comedy and crypto bros. I’m telling the true story about how I ended up living in a home called the Crypto Castle with 14 crypto bros in San Francisco.

What is about crypto that makes you buzz enough to make it the subject of a show?
I think it’s more the hilarious culture of crypto that made me want to write a whole show on it. It started out as this very weird subculture that only druggies and dropouts were using it for! And then very quickly, over the course of a few years, people started to really see the potential with this technology. I do love crypto a lot but that’s not what the show is about. You don’t even need to know what crypto is to enjoy the show! It’s an adventure through this ridiculous subculture.

How is it all going so far?
It’s been great. It’s really a gift to be able to perform a show over and over. You find magical moments that you would never find otherwise.

How is your working relationship with director, Elizabeth Bennett?
She’s the best. She puts a big emphasis on story structure and staying true to the characters I’m introducing. We’ve built a really personal and engaging show!

Your auntie inspired you come to Edinburgh to perform – can you tell us more about it & what advice did she give you?
She sure did! She came about 15 years ago with her own solo show and told me about the hustle it took to get an audience. But by the end, she was selling out! I actually performed for her a very (very) early version of the show a few years back so I’m excited for her to see the complete evolution. When I told her I was a bit worried, she said “You only can do what you can do. Worry is good because you’ll try your best.”

You are also holding down a full time job in the States – how are you finding multi-tasking to such a level?
Don’t ask my Oura ring for my sleep score. And if that is too much of a “techy” reference, I promise the show isn’t like that.

When you visit Edinburgh, what are you looking forward to most about engaging with both the Fringe & the city itself?
I love to run so I’m very excited to go on running adventures around this city. It’s really one of the more beautiful cities I’ve ever been to. And seeing shows!! All of them! Lots of them!

What is your last-minute routine before stepping out on stage?
I high-five myself and say, tell me a funny story. It zones me in and gets me excited to be with the audience!

You bump into somebody in the streets of Edinburgh & have 20 seconds to sell your show – what do you say?
I lived with 14 crypto bros in a place called the Crypto Castle and I lived to tell the tale! Come laugh at my life. And hey, I’ll give you a 15 minute free crypto consult at the end if you buy me a beer.

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