EdFringe Talk: Apocalypse Cabaret: Songs for the End of the World

Posted in *EdFestivals 2025, *Written Interviews by

“My big piece of advice to myself is to choose projects wisely and go ten thousand percent.”

WHO: Tamsin Hurtado Clarke & Scarlett Plouviez: Performer & Director

WHAT: “A lonely karaoke jockey is the sole survivor at the end of the world, and decides to go out singing. A darkly hilarious, high-octane spectacle, where Nietzsche meets the Spice Girls, and the world ends in song. Chanteuse, comedian, and chaos enthusiast Scout Durwood (MTV’s Mary + Jane) hailed as ‘brazen, brass’ (Vogue), makes a powerhouse Fringe debut packed with original songs, pop bangers, audience interaction, and existential musings. This full-throttle celebration of life at the edge of the abyss asks the big question: is there time for one more song?”

WHERE: Dairy Room at Underbelly, Bristo Square (Venue 302) 

WHEN: 21:20 (60 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

Thoughts on festivals experienced as a producer v. experienced as a punter etc.): I have been once in the past many years ago, but this is my first time traveling with a real, full-blown show. It’s a pretty special thing for so many artists to be gathered for a live-show extravaganza. I’m stoked beyond words, and excited to take a nap for the rest of September when I get back to the states.

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

Don’t bail on the bit. Creative stuff is way harder than you think, especially if you want to pull it off well. So my big piece of advice to myself is to choose projects wisely and go ten thousand percent. I’ve definitely come up against a little bit of burnout, and the solution for me has been learning how to say no, which isn’t always the easiest thing. Creative projects make my heart sing, but I’ve learned (or maybe am still learning) to give myself downtime to compliment the busy times. It’s also helped me fall in love with the reality series DANCE MOMS, which is my new favorite pastime to unwind.

I’ve also learned a ton about the longevity of my singing voice! Being in the circus around all those incredible athletes helped me establish a physical discipline that I’m not used to in the cabaret/nightlife world. I’ve gotten pretty into training those two little vocal chord muscles. Not the most interesting lesson, but a fun and nerdy one.

Last thing, I think I’m done with cities. I just finished a two year contract that had me not in a major city for the first time in my adult life. Now I’m hanging in the woods and find cities way too stressful. Especially now that I spend most of my time writing, being able to go outside and listen to the birds has been vital for success.

Tell us about your show.

I spent the last two years working in the circus with Spiegelworld, and the soft premiere of this show in Walla Walla, WA was the first thing I did after I left. I wrote the show with the help of my director, Ellie Heyman (she/her) and it’s been a giant work in progress and a giant evolution for me as a comedian. This show is only funny sometimes, which is new for me. I am used to (trying to be) funny all of the time.  I have a scripted pilot in development, so after the festival, I head back to LA to do some pitching, then to a cabin in upstate New York to finish some writing and start to weave everything together. I’m actually writing this from a  music studio on my last day of recording a cover album. I got really into covers from my cabaret roots, thus the Edinburgh show being all about a karaoke jockey and my album being a bunch of protest-style covers of twangy, belty, piano banging tunes.

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

I want people to answer this question for me because I am new to the festival and have no idea! I want to see absolutely everything I possibly can, so if anyone out there is reading this, please send any and all recommendations to @scoutdurwood across all platforms.

I’m excited to check out Sugar, which is also in cabaret about a gender-fluid sugar baby and the discovery of transactional relationships. Tomáš Kantor stars in it, and they’re a really strong performer.

Also, a theater piece, Do You Accept These Charges? premiering based on Laurie Magers’ actual relationship with a guy she met on a dating app who turned out to be a multi-felon out on parole.. The show digs into themes like love addiction, abuse, and the American prison system.

And then in comedy, comedy, Dylan Adler is doing his debut show Haus of Dy-lan. He’s a classically trained pianist who mixes music with comedy, and the show touches on his experiences with race, being a gay identical twin, getting bullied as a kid, and even his grandfather’s past as a kamikaze pilot in WWII.

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