EdFringe Talk: Armageddon Outta Here

Posted in *EdFestivals 2026, *Written Interviews by

“Every rehearsal and performance has pushed me creatively.”

WHO: Chris Roberts

WHAT: “An asteroid hurtles toward Earth, threatening total annihilation. Meanwhile ego, denial, faith and petty squabbles ripple through a world teetering on the edge. Dark, loud and gloriously anarchic, Armageddon Outta Here is the apocalypse we deserve. Written by Tom Johnson (Verbal Diary, Chortle’s Top 10 Comedy Plays Fringe 2024) and Chris Roberts, this full-length sketch show grew from their award-winning play, Sacrifice. Starring Tom Johnson and Rob Glenister. ‘Johnson is a comedic tour de force’ (VoiceMag.uk). ‘Tom Johnson is clearly someone we should be paying attention to’ (SALTMag.co.uk)”

WHERE: The Saloon Bar at Just The Tonic at Westside Rodeo (Venue 25) 

WHEN: On Demand (60 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

This is my first time doing a show at the Fringe, and only my second time coming to Edinburgh. I always wanted to go to the Fringe; a lot of my favourite writers and performers made their break there, people like League of Gentlemen, Mighty Boosh, and Richard Gadd. Plus, having it in such a beautiful city like Edinburgh with its rich history and beautiful architecture made it all the more tempting to go.

So finally I managed to take a trip last year and had an absolute blast; saw a wide variety of shows, from big shows with large audiences to more intimate ones in little rooms with only a handful of people, but nonetheless still amazing to watch and be a part of. I never knew what I might come across, and it made it all the better. Plus the added experience of meeting fellow artists, getting a drink, chatting about art, and building connections made it more memorable.

Coming back with my own show this time, and not just seeing other shows, is a different experience. There’s now the added pressure to have your show stand out among the other 3000 shows being shown there and the challenges we face trying to get it all sorted. Less time to enjoy other shows and more time focusing on making sure our show has the best experience performing there (though I still plan to squeeze in a couple of shows while I’m there). But it’s not a negative thing going to the festival like this; it’s an exhilarating experience to have this challenge and the chance to be able to put a show on at a festival like the Fringe, to be a part of such a rich community, and a chance for your voice to be heard by a new audience every night makes the stress of it all worth while.

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

My previous experience in writing and directing was entirely in short films, so branching into theatre with my most ambitious project yet has been an incredible journey over the past year. Transitioning from screen to stage presents numerous challenges, including how to effectively tell a story for the stage and build a connection with the audience.

Every rehearsal and performance has pushed me creatively, showing me what it means to work collaboratively with people with different senses of humour and style, and the experience has been nothing short of transformative. It’s opened up new perspectives on storytelling and performance that I couldn’t have fully appreciated without immersing myself in live theatre.

Tell us about your show.

It’s an alternative comedy sketch show about an asteroid heading for Earth, featuring a variety of over-the-top characters in different situations, each dealing with the end in their own funny way. It was co-written by Tom Johnson, who is also performing in it, and me.

It was originally a 10-minute play I wrote for the Short+Sweet UK Festival about 2 bickering astronauts stuck on an asteroid, which is where I first met Tom, who came on to perform it and bring his own humour to the sketch. After a successful performance, we decided to take this a step further and create Armageddon Outta Here with the goal of bringing it to the Fringe. From there, the team grew, with Rob Glenister coming on board as a co-star alongside Tom, bringing his own humour and comedy talent to the show, and Rhys Puddin on as our technician and working behind the scenes, using his knowledge and experience of the Fringe to take this show to the next level. I can’t imagine this project being what it is now if it wasn’t for these three guys.

The show first premiered at our local theatre, Dixion Studio, before then heading to the Rik Mayall Comedy Festival, where it ended with a 24-piece brass band! It received a lot of praise, but we continue working on improving it and adding new things to the show to make it even better. While we’re currently focusing on getting the show ready for the Ed Fringe, we have talked about possibly taking it to other fringe festivals and venues in the future.

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

This is such a hard question, given all the amazing shows coming to the festival this year. The ones that have caught my eye, and that I plan to see for myself, are the comedy-horror Succubus, written and performed by Georgina Collins. I love a bit of horror, and this seems like such an interesting concept that I’m very much intrigued to see.

Another play I look forward to seeing is Boy King, starring Lil Wenker, whom I became a fan of after seeing their hilarious comedy western Bangtail last year. Very excited to see what they do with this new character of theirs.

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