EdFringe Talk: Lizzy Sunshine

Posted in *EdFestivals 2025, *Written Interviews by

“Now my mantra is “in guts we trust.” I know. I’m cringe… but I’m free!”

WHO: Liz Coin

WHAT: “With her co-star unaccounted for, Lizzy Sunshine must carry a double act… alone. A positively chaotic comedy hour by addiction’s (fun!) little sister. It’s like Glee unwilling to admit it’s Baby Reindeer. But don’t worry it’s not sad!!! This show-within-a-show features: audience participation, big characters, big feelings and your very own rose-coloured glasses. After a sold-out run in NYC and US tour, Liz Coin (Amazon Prime, The Second City) makes her Fringe debut! Directed by Makena Reynolds.”

WHERE: Bothie at Gilded Balloon Patter House (Venue 24) 

WHEN: 13:20 (60 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

This is my first time to Edinburgh! It’s been a tunnel vision goal of mine for the last year. Even before I knew I had a venue, before the script was even finalized, I would confidently tell people, “I’m taking the show to Fringe in 2025.” I was/am delusionally certain that EdFringe is the right place for me to grow with the show. Everyone talks about it like an artistic bender – a month where the whole universe feels full of live performance, creative discovery, and kindred spirits. Countless artists I admire have taken their shows to Fringe and regard it as the best place to hone your craft. So, duh, sign me up.

What are the big things you’ve learned since 2024 and have you absorbed any of the lessons yet?

Not to sound insufferable, but 2024 was the most important year of my life. It’s the year I started believing that I was actually an artist. I used to deny it, cloud myself with imposter syndrome and day jobs until all of my hours were dedicated to anything but my own creative energy. With help from The Artist’s Way – I started writing daily, I created and performed Lizzy Sunshine in 3 states, I went on tour with another comedy show, I competed on MrBeast’s Amazon Prime TV show, I signed with my dream talent agency, I flopped and learned and flopped and learned, and then I wrote some more. The key takeaway was trust. I started trusting myself, trusting the timing of my life, and believing that I’m actually right on time. I’ve been an intense perfectionist for years and suddenly I’m telling myself “don’t force it.” And there are definitely still moments when I try to muscle career moves, force jokes or bits that aren’t working but serve my ego, or feel anxious that I’m not where I’m meant to be. Now my mantra is “in guts we trust.” I know. I’m cringe… but I’m free!

Tell us about your show.

I started writing Lizzy Sunshine in February 2024. I brought the idea of a one-woman two-person show to my friend Tim Murray (his show Witches was a Fringe sweetheart) and he helped me develop it. There is nothing more humbling than running a full show alone in a room for one person for the first time. I performed a 25-minute version of this farce at The PIT’s Solocom Festival and they asked me back for a full production! I produced the show alone, taking it back to my hometown community theater in Iowa, then to a theater attached to a bowling alley in Minnesota, and eventually back to NYC.

Though it’s been a self-produced venture until this point, I’ve now welcomed Chloe Bivona to produce and Makena Reynolds to direct. Chloe and I both went to Northwestern University a few years apart and she’s just got that ~hustle~. My director Makena saw the very first version of Lizzy Sunshine by accident! She came to the show slot for someone else but saw it and told me she’d fallen in love with it. A year later, I reached out when she was finishing up the process with “The Emily Dickinson Musical” and she was eager to work with me. Best decision I’ve made – her direction has taken this show to the next level. After Fringe I hope to tour with the show in the UK and ultimately get a run Off (or dare I say… ON?) Broadway.

What should your audience see at the festivals after they’ve seen your show?

My audiences should 100% go see Dolphin Mode by Britt Migs (@Brittymigs) because she is so funny, charming, and a hell of a story teller. I’d also suggest Paperclip by Douglas Widick (@DouglasWidick) because his musical improv is out of this world!

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