HE has fired up audiences in clubs and theatres across England by smoking an entire packet of cigarettes - all at once. Television illusionist Pete Firman had no hesitation in carrying on his act when the smoking ban came in south of the Border. An exemption means entertainers can smoke on stage when it is "integral to the act".
But Scotland's refusal to bend the rules means it will still be illegal for Firman to perform his act at the Fringe. Nevertheless, the 27-year-old has vowed to perform the popular finale to his show when he appears at the Smirnoff Underbelly next month. Firman - one of the stars of Channel 4's magic show Dirty Tricks - intends to light 20 cigarettes and smoke them all, before swallowing them one by one as they smoulder.
The illusionist, whose other tricks include appearing to slice up mice in a blender and producing live goldfish from his mouth, said it was laughable that he was not allowed to perform his signature trick. He said: "I don't have a problem with the idea of a smoking ban, but I find it ridiculous that performers like myself are prohibited from lighting up on stage as part of their act. "In England and Wales there is a dispensation for performers who need to smoke.
It's just crazy that I will be able to do this trick in venues there, but not at the biggest festival in the world. "I spent three months practising this part of the act just to get to the point where I could use a whole packet of cigarettes. Since I started performing it, it's been one of the most talked about moments of my show, so I'm not going to back down and cut it out.
" His pledge follows that of comedian Mel Smith, who promised to smoke on stage at the Assembly Rooms in his role as Winston Churchill, before backing down. He said at the time that the smoking ban was "something that Hitler would be proud of". City council officials will make contact with Firman and the venue before his Fringe performances in an effort to persuade him to drop his plans.
If he does light up on stage, he faces being fined £50, although the venue could be handed a £5000 fine and lose its entertainment licence. A Scottish Executive spokeswoman said: "The law is clear - smoking is banned in public places subject to a small number of exemptions on humanitarian grounds. We have no plans to create further exemptions to the ban and we expect local authorities to take appropriate action against individuals and premises who flout the legislation.
" Smoking enforcement officers will be making routine visits to Fringe venues and will make special visits to any venues they receive complaints about. Councillor Robert Aldridge, the city's environment leader, said: "The council is working closely with the Fringe to provide information on the smoking ban legislation for them to pass on to their venues, performers and audiences. "Compliance with the ban remains extremely high in Edinburgh.
We are confident that festival performers and visitors will continue to respect the smoking ban, and revel in the city's vibrant and smoke-free atmosphere." John Stalker, chief executive of the King's Theatre, said the Scottish ban risked putting some performers off coming north of the Border. He said: "There were very mature debates made in England for an exemption, which were accepted by the government, so I'm saddened that we couldn't do the same here.
"There's a risk that some productions that include smoking could decide not to bring their shows up to Scotland at all." HE has fired up audiences in clubs and theatres across England by smoking an entire packet of cigarettes - all at once.
News RSS