EdFringe Talk: Hugo’s Rainbow Show

Posted in *EdFestivals 2026, *Written Interviews by

“I love the way the Fringe starts to feel like a small town by the end, where you see familiar faces on every corner.”

WHO: Jess Ducey

WHAT: “A drag show for kids about the science of rainbows! Join New Zealand superstar Hugo Grrrl for a musical, magical adventure exploring the skies above. Can you help find Ray The Sun, Misty The Cloud and Wayne The Rain? Maybe even the fabulous Archie The Rainbow?! Together our weathery friends make the mysteries of meteorology fun, all while proving the power of glitter, dress-ups and friendship through original songs, stories and – of course – outrageous costumes. Best for 2-10 year olds and neurodiverse friends, but even big kids will love this wholesome, goofy and glamorous experience.”

WHERE: Dexter at Underbelly, Bristo Square (Venue 302) 

WHEN: 12:00 (45 min)

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Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

This is my fourth rodeo! I love Fringe. It’s magical and chaotic. Anything can happen, there are so many people here just for live art, and Edinburgh is a stupidly beautiful city. I think the secret is finding your people. Audiences, sure, but also the fellow artists and supporters who are going to help you salvage your remaining shreds of sanity and dignity, and celebrate your wins. I love the way the Fringe starts to feel like a small town by the end, where you see familiar faces on every corner.

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

I’m getting better at only checking box office numbers once a day thanks to scheduled reports. Also trying to eat vegetables in regular preventative fashion, rather than subsisting on Gregg’s for two weeks and then wondering why I’m so tired. The most recent lesson is that North Bridge is actually lovely and picturesque‽ It’s been hiding from us for so long, and now journeying over to St Andrew Sq is just a leisurely stroll instead of a terrifying gambit. Revelatory!

Tell us about your show.

Hugo Grrrl wrote the show and has been touring it all over Aotearoa and Australia. Hugo and I go way back to our days in Wellington, where he cast me in a show called Naked Girls Reading. That show was a big factor in both of our queer journeys, and although we’ve since retired from girlhood, we’re still mates (and fierce Scrabble competitors). During my first Fringe, I met Niall Moorjani (go see Kanpur: 1857 at Pleasance!) at a reading at Lighthouse, we became friends and they stayed with me when they brough A Faerie Tale to NYC. Niall raved about how much fun kid’s shows are at the Fringe, partially due to the (mostly)sober audiences and daytime slots, but also because watching kids feed their curiosity and creativity reminds us why we got into this whole theatre thing in the first place. I made a mental note to come back with one some day.

Then, I was in Aotearoa in January, and Hugo called me up and said ‘wanna go to Edinburgh with my drag show for kids about the science of rainbows?’ So I finally named / started a legit production company – Duces Wild – and here we are. The show is technically for kids 2-10ish, but I promise your queer inner child will love it too. It’s silly and sparkly and heartwarming as fuck.

Next stop – a charming theatre near you?

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

I organize with Theater Workers for a Ceasefire in NYC, and am excited for the Palestinian Circus (and really all the circus). Broken Box Mime’s Double Take is a treat for mime afficionados / a perfect introduction for the mime-skeptic. The Creepy Boys’ Slugs is fantastic (and I can’t wait to see Grumms’ new WIP). Recent Cutbacks are dear friends, and they’re back with three hilarious lo-fi movie parodies with live Foley – Hold On To Your Butts, Fly You Fools, and KEVIN!!!! And for more low tech, high precision joy, check out The Back Pack’s Noted. Alaa Shehada’s The Horse of Jenin is absolutely stunning. I’m curious about the Summerhall sauna shows but kinda bummed they’re making us wear togs.

My other show is The Van Gogh Shogh, a ‘delightfully unhinged’ and ‘monstrously funny’ clown show about art and money. Donna Oblongata (the creator / performer) made it after thinking about how Van Gogh would react to those immersive Van Gogh projection shows that were all over the place a few years ago. She’ll hate that I said this, but after you’re done wheezing from laughter, you’ll be surprised at how much you feel. American Sing Song’s Hole! is also a surprisingly heartfelt delight.

I produced a festival of 14 Edinburgh previews in NYC before I left, so go check out those alum: Star Vehicle, Judy Garland is Fat at Carnegie Hall, Emoji: The Hieroglyphs of Our Time, Dr Kara Kibara: Love Guru, Love in the Time of Fifth Grade, Olivia Raine Atwood: Oops, Japanese Grandma Show, Ethan & Gigi Present: THE MOVEMENT, Notes from a Narcissistic Negro and Other N Words, Jerk Off!, I WAS NEVER HERE, Channel (a soothing magical box of sound and light!), and atticwife. A couple of shows from my 2025 preview festival are back again too: Furniture Boys, Lizzy Sunshine, and Time Traveling Postman.

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