Award winning Macedonian comedian Vlad Ilich makes his Edinburgh Fringe debut at the Pleasance Courtyard Attic for the month of August with his show ‘Vladislav, Baby Don’t Hurt Me’. In it Vlad explores his obsession with the game of chess from a very young age, in a period flagged by geopolitical tensions in the region and the looming presence of NATO and the UN...

Introduced to chess by his passionate family, Vlad had to climb the chess champion’s family ladder, starting with his grandma, and ending with his dad. His eagerness to learn and ability to adapt quickly earns him the top place at his local chess club.  When war breaks out, it forces the chess club to close, putting his dreams on pause. 

Whilst chess is on “hold”, Vlad relates to us other quirky stories from his childhood days, such as growing up with Soviet cartoons and getting into a petty argument with his neighbour over who stopped the water in their town during the peak days of the war!

The story then brings us to London in the present day and explores how Vlad is trying to grapple with being a modern-day immigrant, his astute observations putting Britain’s cultural landscape under a magnifying glass. From being called a “job stealer” to recalling silly incidents at the local job centre, the sequences come to an abrupt halt when Vlad ends up in a dramatic love break-up and has to leave the UK to take of care of his dad, who had just been diagnosed with a serious mental health condition. 

Bringing us into deeper waters, Vlad confronts the taboo surrounding mental health in his home country along with how the illness is affecting the relationship with his dad. When it seems like all hope is lost, chess reappears in both men’s lives, reviving their father – son bond, through a series of games they play during Vlad’s frequent visits to the hospital where his dad was an in-patient.

Vlad has been doing comedy for six years in three languages at home and abroad and has more than seven million views online. He has won first place at the notorious King of the Gong show at the Comedy Store and received the One to Watch award at the well-established club Up the Creek, which earned him the reputation of an outstanding newcomer. He was also a finalist in Next Up’s competition Live or Die.

Vlad has appeared on BBC Three, BBC One and Channel 4 Digital. In his free time, Vlad enjoys playing chess and is a member of Prestwick chess club.

Vlad Ilich’s ‘Vladislav, Baby Don’t Hurt Me’ is at the Pleasance Courtyard – Attic @ 8.30pm for tickets go to www.edfringe.com

What is the last thing you do before you go onstage?

I get quite nervous the minute before I go on stage, so running up and down the stage usually helps.

If it’s a small space and I can’t do that, then I try to relax by watching videos of cats falling from the couch. They never see it coming! 

What irritates you? 

People that walk slowly on the underground…why are you always in the middle of the lane?!

Also, people that chew with their mouth open…it takes very little jaw effort to save us from hearing and seeing the mushed food in your mouth. If you chew with your mouth open, it is safe to say I will not let you borrow my railcard anytime soon.

What is the most dangerous thing you have ever done? 

When I was seven I walked across a wooden bridge that had one plank removed for each step. It was about thirty feet long and the drop was over fifteen feet, at least. When I tell people this story they go: “That’s child negligence! Where were your parents?”

They were right there with me! 

What is the most stupid thing you have ever done? 

I was nine and I was a goalkeeper for a local soccer team. During a very important match, I had the ball in my hands ready to kick it off when I slipped and kicked it backwards, scoring an own goal. After the match, I skipped the showers to avoid running into my teammates into the locker room and went straight home. 

What has surprised you the most during your career in comedy? 

How disarming and open of a person you become and how that positivity and openness influences the people around you. It has certainly made my life more bearable.

Interview continues here.