EdFringe Talk: Big Hair: A Rad and Wild Love Affair

Posted in *EdFestivals 2026, *Written Interviews by

“EdFringe challenges you to make those connections, and explore other exceptional theater that has yet to be discovered!”

WHO: Maegan Mandarino

WHAT: “Not your “Abby Normal” relationship? Get ready for a whirlwind of laughter, music and storytelling in Big Hair: A Rad and Wild Love Affair, written and performed by Maegan Mandarino. This one-hour spectacle brings Gilda Radner and Gene Wilder to the stage, with modville-style musical numbers, film and interview clips highlighting their dynamic relationship in absurdist, fun theatre. ‘A nuanced, tender, life-affirming story about love and loss that you would not expect from a retro stand up vaudeville show, and I cherished every strange, hilarious, moving moment of it’ (BroadwayWorld.com).”

WHERE: The Annexe at Paradise in The Vault (Venue 29) 

WHEN: 18:15 (60 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

This is my very first time! I’ve performed at fringe festivals from Hollywood to Vegas but this has been on my bingo card for some time. What excites me most is the idea that artists can market their own shows on the streets. It feels so scrappy, and energetic and I love it! It also challenges you to make those connections, and explore other exceptional theater that has yet to be discovered!

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

I’ve learned not to be vague. I think we associate vague with being mysterious, but vague is just vague and often people don’t want to read between the lines. They want immediate answers at face value. I’ve learned that when you promote you show, say exactly what it is. Give them the elevator pitch because you may only have a few seconds to dazzle.

Tell us about your show.

I wrote this first draft of this show in a bodega seven years ago. The story of Gilda Radner and Gene Wilder’s tumultuous love story has always fascinated me. I also knew I would like to portray them both, so I found a way to create a traveling suitcase show wherein I used large wigs to play both Dr. Frederick Frankenstein and Roseanne Roseannadanna. It all seemed to fit really well, and seven years later I’m still performing this show. Usually, when I have an idea, it fades….but this marked me. It still does, and every time I perform it I think, damn…I wrote that and it’s pretty darn good! And it’s always, evolving which I love. No show is the same. In all this I really couldn’t do it without my crew, which consists of a sound engineer, lighting designer and stage manager. We’re continually jumping from city to city, opportunity to opportunity, and enjoying the ride along the way.

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

After you experience my love letter to Gene Wilder and Gilda Radner, I hope you’ll make time for another unforgettable Old Hollywood story: Call Me Elizabeth. Created and performed by the incredibly talented Kayla Boye, this one-woman show celebrates the life of Elizabeth Taylor. I’ve had the pleasure of meeting Kayla at another festival, and she’s one of the hardest working artists I know. This is absolutely on my must-see list at Fringe and I hope you’ll add it to yours, too!

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