“I always describe our first year at Edfringe as if we had made a goal to swim in the ocean without having ever seen an ocean before. WE DID IT. We swam in the ocean! We didn’t drown.”
WHO: Katy Murphy
WHAT: “(No) Refunds is an interactive game show play hosted by Tiffany Gold, an old-school American host and model presenter all-in-one who quite literally depends on your entertainment. One premium ticket holder, dubbed the Star Player for the evening, will compete in three games designed to amuse the audience and showcase their talents. Only those best-suited to handle the demands of stardom will walk away with a full refund. Do you have what it takes?”
WHERE: The Penny at Gilded Balloon Patter House (Venue 24)
WHEN: 21:40 (60 min)
MORE: Click Here!
Is this your first time to Edinburgh?
This is our SECOND time at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. That said, I can’t say I remember much of the first feverish 5-day run we had last year?
I always describe our first year at Edfringe as if we had made a goal to swim in the ocean without having ever seen an ocean before. WE DID IT. We swam in the ocean! We didn’t drown. However, we had NEVER SEEN an ocean before! We didn’t know how helpful a liferaft, water and food preserves, and sunscreen could be and we didn’t pack ‘em! We may not have drowned, but my goodness, we barely stayed afloat.
Why do I love Edfringe? Because the community surrounding it is there to hand you a life preserver when you’re drowning. The abundance of opportunity mindset is beautiful and healing. It is a cauldron that celebrates weird art, and even though it’s a GAUNTLET, it teaches you how capable you are. Making it through last year launched three successful runs back in NYC that have allowed us to sharpen this show up into the best it’s ever been.
What are the big things you’ve learned since 2025 and have you absorbed any of the lessons yet?
How much money I could be charging for my artistic labor. I have not absorbed this lesson. I am still underpaid. Is it worth it though? That’s the question (No) Refunds asks every night.
Tell us about your show.
This show was first drafted as a remote experience during the pandemic as a manic response to losing three jobs in one day. It has since shapeshifted into the live gameshow that debuted at Edfringe with Just the Toni last year after NYC WIP presentations at Brooklyn Comedy Collective and Theaterlab. Most recently, we debuted three brand-new games at the Tank for their Edfringe NYC previews.
On the horizon, we’re on the lookout for domestic touring opportunities (especially in Chicago, our team is chock full of Northwestern Wildcats). We plan to run it wherever they’ll have us until the wheels come off.
What should your audience see at the festivals after they’ve seen your show?
Well, depending on what you like the most about (No) Refunds, here’s some recommendations:
If you like a clown character with a heart of gold: Lizzy Sunshine (also at Patter House!), I’ve seen Liz perform this show three times now (last year’s Fringe preview, at the Fringe, and this year at SoHo Playhouse in NYC), and she’s one of the best to do it. A must-see.
If you like a show that’s different every night: Mistakes Were Made: Shiver Me Timbers, an improvised show influenced by dice rolls featuring a local cast that sold out last year. This year the cast includes Lucette Panush, an ex-pat who I saw perform in the States before she moved to Edinburgh and she always delights.
If you like queer campy plays: 1518: The Dancing Plague, as a former accidental European History Minor (turns out if you take enough classes for fun they give you a certification???) This show touches on all my special interests. BASED ON ACTUAL HISTORY! Straight off of an LA run that looks like a blast.
If you like the dark side of typecasts: Hater, a play about obsession, their social media team has been KILLING IT (maybe foreshadowing some murderous vibes in the play itself?) and I’ve been stalking what they’re up to online.
If you like theatre from the NYC downtown scene: Like a Good Neighbor is a solo show that feels like a warm hug by Jake Alexander, who I had the pleasure of sharing a cohort with at Theaterlab earlier this year for their Meltingplot Festival. Irene Woo’s Golden Child just had a run at the Tank for Edinburgh Fringe Previews with us and chronicles her path from “successful Google Engineer” to (her words) “unemployed clown.” Finally, Noted, also going up at the Tank before Fringe hailed as a “live-action cartoon” seems like a whole lot of fun.
If you like shows everyone likes: Stamptown was the first Fringe show I saw in real life, and it will always hold a special place in my heart. A great tasting menu of all the Fringe has to offer.
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