Jo Brand and Greg McHugh top bill of stand-ups sharing their best Christmas jokes for Edinburgh's Gilded Balloon

This year, to help raise funds for the Gilded Balloon, a dozen of the UK’s top stand-ups will serv​e​ up some well-deserved​ festive ​cheer in the new initiative, 12 days of Christmas Crackers​.

Over each of the ​12​ days of Christmas​, Gilded Balloon will unveil a different joke from ​the likes of ​Greg McHugh, Jo Brand and Fred MacAulay. The jokes will run alongside a donation campaign raising money to support Gilded Balloon as the​ company heads into an uncertain 2021.

“It’s been a tough year for everyone so we thought that a bit of Christmas cheer was needed, and since it’s​ ​the season to be jolly we asked some of our favourite comedians to give us their Christmas jokes so that we​ ​could pass them on to everyone​.​ What could be better than a daily joke to keep everyone’s spirits up this​ ​year​," say Gilded Balloon supremos Karen and Katy Koren.

They add, "​And, if we’ve helped to put a smile on your face at this time or any time during the year please​ ​consider supporting us by donating in the Gilded Balloon so that we can keep entertaining you all in 2021.”

O​ne of the comedians taking part is Jo Band, who first appeared at the Fringe venue back in the 80s. She says the reason she took part is because, "I love​​ Karen Koren, I love the Gilded Ballo​o​n and I love flat sausage. What’s sausage got to do with it?​ ​Nothing. However, lots of stand ups have seen all their work disappear this year and we need to support places like The Gilded Balloon, an iconic venue among comedians who want to get back there as soon as possible.​"

Also sharing a Christmas cracker will be ​Fred MacAulay​, who adds, “2020 has, or should have, ​taught us to look out for each other. I’ve probably had gigs from the Gilded Balloon every year of my 31 years of stand up*. I’ll happily help Karen and Katy in any way I can. And not just this year."

He quips, “And if only I’d kept all my income records I could have verified that.”​

Since Covid-19, Gilded Balloon have had to make difficult decisions. Cancelling this year’s Fringe programme, making half their team redundant and​ ​terminating the lease at their​ ​year-round theatre​.​ ​Alongside their​ ​Christmas Cracker fundraising campaign, ​Gilded Balloon ​are now looking for private funding opportunities to ensure​ ​the company’s survival through to Fringe 2021.

​Stand-up ​Maisie Adam​, who will also provide one of the gags says, "The Gilded Balloon ha​s​ nurtured my comedy career ever since its' inception at the 2017 So You Think You're Funny final. ​Since then, Gilded Balloon's guidance and support has helped me go on to write and perform two ​F​ringe shows​ and feature on TV comedy shows I watched as a kid.

"The very least I could do was provide them with a joke that even I can't say without instantly wanting to apologise for making your toes curl with cringe.​"

Gilded Balloon's Christmas Crackers run from Sunday,​ ​December ​13, here ​

D​onations can be made here

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