EdFringe Talk: Stephen Catling: Clown Fish Out Of Water

Posted in *EdFestivals 2026, *Written Interviews by

“Nothing is too niche or too bizarre for the fringe and my new show is implicitly a love letter to that.”

WHO: Stephen Catling

WHAT: “When clowns can’t breathe water and fish can’t breathe air – what’s a poor Clown Fish to do in this cruel world? In 2025, Catling (Keep It Fringe Award Winner 2023, Malcolm Hardee Award Nominee 2023 and 2025) lost his slug mask. It was an essential part of his cult hit show Moving On…Really Really Slowly. This time, Stephen explores his life now that Autism has been “unmasked”, as well as his fin flapping rage against an increasingly soulless entertainment industry. Who knows what is going to be in store?”

WHERE: Wee Container 1 at Hoots @ Potterrow (Venue 243) 

WHEN: 22:30 (60 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

This is not my first rodeo in fact this is my third full Edinburgh Fringe run and my 5th time as a performer and 6th time coming if you include puntering.

What makes the Edinburgh fringe so wonderful and special is that the festival is like a surrealist fever dream, you can see shows where people are talking about their lives in more conventional standup , to musicals about a plant named Potty who is in love with human. You can see the wonderful minds and characters like my friends Phil O’Shea or Rob Duncan and his printer and watch cult sensations like the magnificent beast that is John Robertson who oozes with anarchic fun and energy.

Likewise as a performer it is a chance to do the thing that I love everyday many people who will then adore you or be baffled and befuddled as you break their sense of reality as you bring them into your own world. It is a hotbed of imagination, dreams and nightmares. What’s not to love? And if you see something you don’t love, who gives a fuck? It was only an hour max there is probably another 10 shows that will resonate with you and you might just find something that is truly special and unique. Nothing is too niche or too bizarre for the fringe and my new show is implicitly a love letter to that.

What are the big things you’ve learned since 2025 and have you absorbed any of the lessons yet?

It has been said “No man is an island” and this is why I am proud to say I am working with my producers Ingenious fools to take on board some of the pressure of the Fringe for me ; Susanna and Jen do excellent work.

I have also learnt to take even greater risks in my comedy and play with the audience even more though I do not wish to reveal all within this interview.

Tell us about your show.

The show New Show which is my third is called Clown Fish Out Of Water , it’s either about not fitting in society as an autistic individual either within my day jobs or sometimes in the entertainment industry which is valuing less creativity and invention and more relying on what is safe such as cashing in on nostalgia or might be just an excuse for me to do a Bunch of silly shit.

The show is written by myself, directed by the wonderful Phil Green and is produced by the fine folk of Ingenious Fools. Phil has directed all 3 of my Edinburgh Fringe show and Ingenious Fools came in after mutual recommendations that made us want to collaborate, probably due to the successes of the first two cult hit shows Beehavioural Problems… something something autism and Moving on…really really slowly, both of which got Malcolm Hardee nominations for comic originality.

This new show has actually done more previews then any of my previous shows and has also done festivals I have never done before such as Cambridge Fringe. After the Fringe it will do Birmingham and Nottingham Comedy festivals. It is my dream to get a Soho theatre run, either for the alumni festival or The London clown festival.

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

You must go see Molly McGuinness and Paul Campells cult show Heron Foods at Monkey Barrell, now if my word alone is not good enough I like to highlight Molly is an Edinburgh comedy award nominee and also helps in the writing and directing of Joe Kent-Walters aka Frankie Monroe (who you should also see because he is absolutely brilliant and his manic energy and charisma is out of this world) and Paul is a great surrealist comic mind who won the Malcolm Hardee award and knows his supermarkets (his show last year was on Somerfield).

Other people I would love to give some love are Consignia because they are truly the bravest most daring of comics on the circuit bar none. I will also recommend Nate Kitch , Lil Wenker , Dru Cripps, Bec Hill , Jordan Brookes and Paul Hilleard as they are all fun and inventive folk in their comedy.

LIKE WHAT YOU JUST READ? FOLLOW US ON TWITTER! OR SIGN UP TO OUR MAILING LIST!

INTERESTED IN BEING INTERVIEWED TOO? CLICK HERE!