SNL UK Edinburgh masterclass adds Emma Sidi and Jack Shep
Emma Sidi and Jack Shep will join Sky and Universal Studio Group figures at the Edinburgh TV Festival’s new Funny Business strand.
By Poppy Nakagawa · Culture Writer
2 min read
Emma Sidi and Jack Shep are heading to the SNL UK Edinburgh masterclass, with Deadline reporting that the cast members will appear alongside the show’s writers, producers and commissioners at this year’s Edinburgh TV Festival.
The session is part of Funny Business, a new festival strand backed by Universal Studio Group and built around comedy, its makers and the business behind it. The festival is using the first season launch of SNL UK as one of the strand’s headline case studies.
The masterclass will take place Friday, August 28, at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre, according to Deadline. It lands during what the outlet described as the festival’s 51st and final industry gathering in Edinburgh before the event moves to Greater Manchester in 2027.
Who is on the SNL UK Edinburgh masterclass panel?
Deadline reported that the panel will include Helen Kruger Bratt, Managing Director of UTAS UK; James Longman, lead producer of SNL UK; Daran “Jonno” Johnson, the show’s head writer; Liz Clare, the director; Kevin Fortune, head of wigs and make-up; and Phil Edgar Jones, Executive Director of Unscripted Originals at Sky.
Sidi and Shep will represent the cast on stage. The panel is set up to give festival delegates a look at how the British version of the long-running live sketch format is made, from writing and production through to commissioning and performance.
Universal Studio Group is the parent company of Universal Alternative Television Studios, which co-produces SNL UK. Sky is also represented on the panel through Edgar Jones.
What is the Funny Business strand?
Funny Business is a new Edinburgh TV Festival track focused on comedy as both a creative field and a business. Deadline reported that it is designed to bring together creatives, commissioners, producers and industry leaders to share ideas, spot new talent and discuss what comes next for comedy.
The launch follows the creation three years ago of a comedy showcase involving the Edinburgh TV Festival, the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society and Universal Studio Group. Access to the Funny Business strand is being offered for £99, or $130, plus VAT, according to Deadline.
The timing gives the session extra industry weight. The Edinburgh TV Festival is due to leave Scotland after 51 years, with the 2027 edition moving to Greater Manchester. Deadline reported that the television industry is split over whether the move is good for the sector.
Deadline also reported that early plans are under way for a new television event in Edinburgh, meaning the city may still keep a place in the TV calendar even as the main festival prepares to relocate.
This story draws on original reporting from Deadline.