Author Archives: Dan Lentell

Bedfringe 2025 Interview: The Oberons

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“We’ve combined our talents to weave music seamlessly into the world of illusion.”

WHO: Emily Yarrow

WHAT: “Step into a world of mystery and wonder with The Telepath and The Conjurer.

This extraordinary show blends mind-reading, magic, music and breathtaking illusions in a spellbinding performance that will leave you questioning the boundaries of reality. Watch as The Telepath delves into the minds of the audience, revealing thoughts and secrets with uncanny precision, while The Conjurer astounds with impossible feats of magic and sleight of hand. Punctuated at pivotal moments by Emily’s soaring vocals,  together, they create an unforgettable experience full of amazement, intrigue, and edge-of-your-seat excitement.

(Prepare to be astonished as the ordinary transforms into the extraordinary right before your eyes.)

“Really beautiful! I loved it” PENN AND TELLER”

WHERE: Quarry Theatre

WHEN: 27 July 2023 @ 16:00 (50mins)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Bedfringe?

Yes! Our wonderful friend and director, the marvellous Rhys Morgan of Morgan & West highly recommended us applying to be part of the Bedfringe as it is well-run, well-attended, well-marketed and a truly wonderful experience.

What are the big things you’ve learned since 2024 and have you absorbed any of the lessons yet?

In 2024, we had the amazing opportunity to work and develop our show on cruise ships and in various venues on land across the country.

We met in 2023 and wanted to stay together so we had the idea of combining Marc’s music and my singing to be an act by itself. We managed to swing eight cruises together in 2024, with Marc performing his magic shows, and myself performing my singing songs, and us offering our act as an extra show on board. These contracts, along with our dates on land, gave us so much in the way of practice and feedback, learning what worked best, which props to use, lighting, technical details, what to add, what to take away – and we are still tweaking and honing to this day and probably will never stop!

Tell us about your show.

Our show is a unique fusion of magic, mind-reading and live music – designed to bring you an experience you won’t see anywhere else. We’ve combined our talents to weave music seamlessly into the world of illusion. You can expect world-class magic, jaw-dropping sleight of hand and mind-reading that will have you questioning reality, all set to the power of live opera and smooth jazz. With plenty of audience interaction and surprises along the way, this show is where music meets mystery and you’re part of the magic.

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

If it’s more magic you’re after, then we recommend Matt Daniel-Baker – just atonishing, and The Most Perfect Magic Show EVER – just brilliant!

And comedy, Esther is hilarious in her show Slagbomb, and the wonderful Patrick Monahan who is fabulous.

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EdFringe Talk: Talking Bottom LIVE

Posted in *EdFestivals 2025, *Written Interviews by

“There is nowhere like the Edinburgh Fringe anywhere else on earth. As lovers of British comedy it’s always been hallowed ground, especially as it’s where our heroes Rik Mayall and Ade Edmondson started out back in the late 70s.”

WHO: Angela Pearson

WHAT: “Eager to celebrate their favourite sitcom – Rik Mayall and Ade Edmondson’s BBC 90s classic, Bottom – comedy fans Paul Tanter, Angela Pearson and Mat Brooks launched their popular podcast Talking Bottom in 2018. Named Podcast of the Week by The Guardian and Metro, it features interviews with Bottom’s cast and creatives, plus deep dives into Bottom episodes and various comedy themes. Their companion book, Talking Bottom: A Guide to the Cult Sitcom, hits UK bookshops this summer. Now, the trio are bringing the Talking Bottom podcast live to Edinburgh, joined by a special guest – Lee Cornes (AKA Bottom’s pub landlord Dick Head!).”

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

WHEN: 15:15 (60 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

Yes this is our very first time popping our Edinburgh cherry as ‘performers’! We’re co-hosts of the Talking Bottom podcast and our aim is to bring Rik Mayall and Ade Edmondson’s sitcom Bottom into the conversation wherever we go. Doing a live podcast was not something we’d considered until this year and we’re beyond thrilled Underbelly booked us into their programme for the final weekend. We’ve visited as revellers in the past and absolutely loved cramming in as many shows as possible into a day. There is nowhere like the Edinburgh Fringe anywhere else on earth. As lovers of British comedy it’s always been hallowed ground, especially as it’s where our heroes Rik Mayall and Ade Edmondson started out back in the late 70s. Ange has worked the festival as a comedy publicist in recent years so knows the lie of the land but bringing Talking Bottom LIVE to Fringe audiences is an absolute dream come true. We’re twisting our nipples with excitement to talk complete and total BOTTOM there with our special guest Lee Cornes (AKA Bottom’s pub landlord Dick Head!).

What are the big things you’ve learned since 2024 and have you absorbed any of the lessons yet?

This is our first venture into Fringe with a show of our own so we don’t have personal experience of Fringe performing to share in that regard. In terms of finding reasonably priced accommodation not even the advice to ‘book early’ really means anything any more so our advice would be to make friends in Edinburgh this year so you can beg to stay with them the next! But in all seriousness, since 2024, we have seen our Talking Bottom book go from its initial transcript to being painstakingly edited and now printed – it’s out in all good bookshops this summer via the publisher Unbound – so we’ve learned a huge amount about self-hatred, sleepless nights and the book publishing process. Overall, it’s rewarding! And we’re hoping the Edinburgh Fringe is going to teach us a similar lesson – to pursue your dreams and, above all, back yourself. Trust that you know your own potential, no-one else is going to invite you to succeed in life unless you put the effort in. You have to aim to grab all opportunities by the short and curlies and whack ’em with a frying pan!

Tell us about your show.

Talking Bottom LIVE at Edinburgh Fringe is going to be a truly special one off episode of our podcast. We’ll be interviewing the incredibly 80s alternative comedy legend that is Lee Cornes! He started out in the 80s as a stand up and was a regular compere at the iconic The Comedy Store. He was also cast in 80s sitcoms including Blackadder and Red Dwarf – his turn as Paranoia alone has gone into the history books as a hilarious bit part. Then he was cast as Dick Head, the pub landlord, in Bottom and was cemented as one of the greatest side characters the show ever produced. Fans quote his lines amongst themselves ad infinitum. Together we three – Paul Tanter, Angela Pearson and Mat Brooks – Bottom fans started the Talking Bottom podcast back in 2018. At first it was a way to excuse ourselves from our other halves and talk about our favourite sitcom week on week. It was also a way to remember the late great Rik Mayall. It’s astonishing how many people you can meet who’ve now never heard of Rik Mayall’s work in Bottom, and even The Young Ones! It’s been 30+ years since these TV shows changed the face of sitcom and we feel Rik and Ade’s work needs celebrating and commemorating. We started doing interviews with the Bottom cast and crew, gleaning more insights than we ever thought possible. It may sound nerdy but preserving anecdotes and uncovering new facts is what drives us in our mission to keep Bottom in the conversation. We’re thrilled to be bringing the podcast to Fringe with Lee Cornes. We did the first ever live Talking Bottom podcast at the Rik Mayall Comedy Festival in May this year with special guest Ed Bye – Bottom’s Director/Producer. It sold out within hours of going on sale and was a really fun hour learning about Ed’s craftsmanship and relationship with Rik and Ade as performers. We are considering doing another live podcast this Autumn in London but we’ll see how Edinburgh goes!! Learn to walk before we run (probably with the dogs set on us!!)

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

There are SO many shows at the Fringe this year we’re hoping to see while we’re there for the final weekend. It’ll be near impossible to cram them all in but top unmissable picks are the two funniest women you’re ever likely to encounter doing sketch Siblings: Dreamweaver at Pleasance Baby Grand, the hilarious high-energy New Zealand husband/wife musical comedy duo Two Hearts’ brand new show ‘Don’t Stop Throbbing’ at Pleasance Courtyard and the one woman powerhouse that is Elf Lyons with her reprisal of her THREE fantastically funny and thought-provoking shows collectively billed as ‘The Bird Trilogy’ at Pleasance King Dome. Also definitely going to be checking out the very funny man Will Rowland’s Sunshine by Candlelight at PBH Free Fringe’s Banshee Labryinth and the hilarious storytelling comedian Kevin James Doyle’s Wild Card at Just The Tonic The Caves which promises a huge amount of audience participation and even huger laughs.

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EdFringe Talk: The Jive Aces: Feelin’ Happy

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“Everyone is in the same boat, everyone has to hustle and get those flyers out there and promote like crazy.”

WHO: Ruolin Lei

WHAT: “Be uplifted with positive vibes from Britain’s Got Talent semi-finalists! Packed with real music and entertainment from rhythm and blues to rock and roll roots, the Jive Aces deliver an action-packed show! Together for nearly 30 years, the band is renowned for its high-energy performances in over 40 countries. Having played for HM the Queen, serenaded HM King Charles, sold out the Royal Albert Hall and become the first band to reach Britain’s Got Talent finals, they’re the UK’s No.1 Jive and Swing band!”

WHERE: Bramley at Gilded Balloon at Appleton Tower (Venue 140) 

WHEN: 12:00 (60 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

No it’s not our first Fringe (that should be used instead of “not my first rodeo” from now on).

We first performed in venues around the edges of the Fringe around the year 2000. We were the fringe of the Fringe! We would play at the Hard Rock Cafe, the Why Not Club and Vegas Scotland and soak in the fringe experience and atmosphere and meet lots of other artists and watch lots of different shows.

Then we started doing official venues including with Assembly and Gilded Balloon as well as some independant promoters and have been coming back almost every year since, other than the pando period, of course.

What’s great about the festival is that it is simply the biggest and most diverse arts festival I know of, and the longest – so it becomes a way of life rather than a visit.

It’s almost a sort of equaliser for acts. Everyone is in the same boat, everyone has to hustle and get those flyers out there and promote like crazy. By necessity everyone becomes gregarious or has a difficult time.

Nowhere else do you see everything from celebrities and Shakespearean characters to Marilyn Monroe and acrobatic doctors walking the streets with no one even batting an eye.
Most of the festivals we do are music festivals, from jazz festivals to Glastonbury but there is nothing like the Fringe. Walking the streets day and night and ending off with vegan haggis at the City Restaurant and taking stock of the day’s adventures.

What are the big things you’ve learned since 2024 and have you absorbed any of the lessons yet?

I think one of the main things I learned last year was when you have one day off after non-stop shows, walking and promoting with little sleep (but much coffee), don’t spend it playing laser quest…
The other is to go out of your way to see other shows. Not just to enjoy them but also to get an idea of all the diverse talent there is, both the large shows and the small. This year I’ll go through and make note of who I want to see and when, rather than trust to luck and remembering.

The other thing, is just to always enjoy it and the experience, no matter how it is going because it always ends up being great!

Tell us about your show.

This show is put together by the whole band. It will be a musical journey of the roots of rock ‘n’ roll from the rhythm & blues and gospel beginnings to Jump jive and the dawn of rock itself.

We asked people what they wanted most from the show and funnily enough they answered that they wanted to be happy, so this is “Feelin’ Happy” and celebrating the ebullient music of the early 1950s!

We aim to hone the show, which will be debuting at the fringe, and take it on the road next year to regional theatres.

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

Ali Affleck is a local jazz singer and washboard player and has about half a dozen different themed shows during the Fringe, she is always worth seeing.

Then there’s Jon Ritchie and That Swing Sensation, you can’t beat a full sized big band blasting away!
Although we don’t know them personally, Pitchblenders: Bootleg Blues looks like a great show as does the Tenement Jazz Band’s “Red Hot Roots of Jazz” show.

And there is Bluebell Swing who we have played together with at Stramash on previous trips to Edinburgh, always a fun show!

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EdFringe Talk: Out of Character

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“The audience arrives curious, not judgmental, which gives us the freedom to take risks.”

WHO: Ruolin Lei

WHAT: “When reality fails to answer desire, the fictional world becomes home. They are the gangsters on screen, forbidden lovers to some, the perfect souls that never existed in reality. The overlooked, East Asian female creators project their emotions onto the imaginary, weaving intimate connections beyond the limits of the real world. When patriarchal narratives attempt to define love, desire and existence, these women reshape them through imagination – not just as passion, but as identity, as a profound connection known as fictosexuality. Fanfiction is not just fantasy, it is love that the world has yet to understand.”

WHERE: Fleming Theatre at theSpace @ Surgeons’ Hall (Venue 53) 

WHEN: 11:40 (50 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

For most of us, yes—it’s our first time at EdFringe, and honestly, it’s wild. We’d heard the stories, but nothing really prepares you for the intensity and openness of the festival. As creators, what’s amazing is how the Fringe genuinely makes space for all kinds of voices. That’s crucial for a show like ours. The audience arrives curious, not judgmental, which gives us the freedom to take risks. It’s chaos—but the good kind.

What are the big things you’ve learned since 2024 and have you absorbed any of the lessons yet?

Since 2024, one of the biggest lessons has been realizing how powerful it is to tell your own story—even if it feels niche. We used to worry about being misunderstood because of cultural differences, but now we’ve learned that specificity and sincerity will land. Working on Out of Character taught us we don’t need to speak for everyone—but we do need to speak clearly from where we stand. And trust that someone’s listening.

Tell us about your show.

Out of Character is our debut production as Prickly Ash Theatre, written by our amazing playwright Xinyi Huang. The idea was sparked during a late-night conversation about our own experiences as fangirls—how often that voice gets overlooked, misunderstood, or dismissed entirely.

The play explores how East and Southeast Asian female fan creators engage with patriarchal storytelling—through reinterpretation, self-insertion, and resistance. It centres on a fictional Hong Kong mafia novel about a character named “Chan,” and uses this text as a springboard to dive into how different types of fangirls—like those who write BL or self-insert fiction—engage with fictional worlds. Their creative responses reveal their desires, tensions, and identity struggles. Their affection and creativity invested in male characters from the original works reflect both a compromise with the patriarchal narratives of the original work and at the same time a form of resistance against them, often accompanied by inner conflict and struggle.

Most of us are recent MA graduates from GSMD and other UK drama schools, now hustling as freelancers in London. We came together as Chinese creatives trying to carve out space for ourselves in an industry where our stories often feel peripheral. So we formed Prickly Ash Theatre—this is our first project as a team.

We did a soft premiere in Brighton, and the Fringe is our first major platform. After this, we’re hoping to take it on tour—across the UK, and one day, hopefully, home to China.

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

There’s so much incredible work happening at theSpaceUK this year, and we’re honestly honoured to be showing alongside these artists.

First, don’t miss the revival of past Fringe First-winning works by the brilliant team of Xhloe and Natasha.

Their trilogy—A Letter To LBJ, What If They Ate The Baby, and And Then The Rodeo Burned Down—is wildly inventive, politically sharp, and emotionally devastating in the best way. Each show plays with theatrical form while staying deeply human. It’s Fringe at its finest.

We also highly recommend Tell Me Where Home Is (I’m Starting to Forget)—a beautiful, introspective piece that explores pop culture, nostalgia, mental health, and the strange tenderness of coming-of-age. It speaks directly to our generation’s sense of uncertainty and longing.

Another must-see is Marble Cake by Chequered Theatre Company. It’s an intimate and heart-wrenching story about two mixed-race siblings reconnecting after months apart. Through them, the show gently unpacks identity, mental health, and fragile family dynamics—with so much warmth and honesty.

Honestly, after Out of Character, we just hope people keep exploring stories that centre care, discomfort, identity, and quiet rebellion. The festival is full of them—just keep your heart open.

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EdFringe Talk: A Murder in Motley

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“Whilst I am a playwright, I am also a full-time student, and over the past year I have been able to learn and absorb a great deal through my studies, making this show a passion project.”

WHO: Kiera Joyce

WHAT: “After a murder is committed in Jacobean London by a man wearing motley, two playing fools from different productions must prove their innocence with the help of a bard, an innkeeper’s wife, a harlot and the all-knowing judge. Intertwined in guilt and innocence are the torrid affairs of the pleasure and playhouses and the love of an old fool for his actor-king… What motivated the killer? Dubious investments in the fledgling Globe Theatre? Scandalous family secrets? Syphilis? You decide! As the trial reaches its climax, it’s the audience who must play jury and deliver the verdict!”

WHERE: Willow Studio at Greenside @ Riddles Court (Venue 16) 

WHEN: 12:50 (50 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

It is not my first time in Edinburgh although it is my first time bringing a show to the Fringe. Thankfully I am accompanied by a wonderful Production Team, the majority of whom have, for the past three years running, brought a variety of shows to the festival. I am incredibly excited to be a part of it this year as The Edinburgh Fringe represents to me everything brilliant about theatre: it’s this giant melting pot of new and exciting live ideas being realised all at once. Whilst I cannot personally speak on the differences between being a producer and a punter, my team tells me that the former is far more involved in the scene and I cannot wait for that level of involvement! Although certainly we’ll remain punters of many a new show this year too!

What are the big things you’ve learned since 2024 and have you absorbed any of the lessons yet?

What an interesting question! As this show has taken shape, I have come to truly value the beauty of working with a great Production Team, as well as the benefits that an increased knowledge of the Renaissance period has had on my Postgraduate Degree in Renaissance Studies. Whilst I am a playwright, I am also a full-time student, and over the past year I have been able to learn and absorb a great deal through my studies, making this show a passion project– and whilst I did work to maintain the mass appeal of ‘A Murder in Motley,’ there are a few easter eggs for any historians in the audience. Since moving to Scotland in 2024, I have had the pleasure of being involved in seven productions in this wonderful country. Whilst I did previously work on shows in London, I was often a part of a very small production team and had taken on a very central role in all areas of production. Thus, to sit back and allow experts in their fields to take control of what they do best has been an absolute joy! Learning to let go in this manner has been a real pleasure and not only do I get to absorb this lesson, I am constantly learning from my peers and their expertise. I think that’s a sentiment which really extends into the Edinburgh Fringe – an amazing global platform that facilitates this exchange of learning, ideas and inspiration.

Tell us about your show.

Our show was written by Kiera Joyce (myself, for my sins) and produced by the brilliant Leia Ransley. Both Leia and I have worked on a range of award-winning productions across London, Oxford and Scotland, myself as writer and director and Leia as producer or director. We are also lucky enough to have Heather Tiernan, Amelia Thompson, Elena Bello and Ryan Cunningham completing our crew, all of which have had extensive previous experience in their various positions of Technician, Publicist, Costumier and Wellbeing Coordinator; and together our brilliant cast was selected from a great number of amazing auditionees! Our production team came together through the University of St Andrews’ Theatre Scene, specifically the Mermaids’ Performing Arts Fund. Whilst we are a range of both postgraduate and undergraduate students, and a mix of people both new to the fringe and old-hats, it is the first time we have taken this particular show to the festival.

From comedy and queer farce to historical accuracy and tear-jerking moments, ‘A Murder in Motley’ holds a wide range of appeal to the diverse Fringe Audience. Not only this, but each show is different, as it features two alternate endings that are determined by the audience who act as jury to the trial set before them. This level of involvement, I hope, will be appreciated by our thespian fringe audience.

The play serves to question the fine line between character and actor throughout, reaching its climax during sentencing. When the lights point towards the audience as they give their verdict, leaving the actors merely to observe, as all the people become players, we may wonder – who really is performing?

It would be amiss to only perform this show about performance on a single stage, and whilst we are excited to debut at the Fringe, we are hoping to take the show down to London – to other Arts Festivals, and possibly to off-West End venues. Although it currently stands at 50 minutes (making it the perfect length for a lunch break show), we are interested in pursuing the opportunity to perform an extended version in the future.

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

It is difficult to pick just a few as the lineup for this year’s festival looks absolutely stunning and I’m sure we’ll get to know many more brilliant shows on the mile too. All the same we’ve got to begin by recommending other shows from the University of St Andrews’ Mermaids’ Performing Arts Fund; ‘Soul Sucking’ and ‘If You Don’t Laugh,’ after our tales of bawdy houses and bards they will serve well to pull you back into the modern age. And we wouldn’t be Early Modern lovers without recommending a trip to see the classic ‘Shit Faced Shakespeare,’ which with any luck will be much like our actors at the cast party! We’re also very excited to see ‘Lady Macbeth Played Wing Defence,’ and will be having a group trip to watch it!

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EdFringe Talk: Ali Brice Presents Eric Meat Gets the Chop

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“Having no Fringe to aim for allowed me to properly relax and removed a lot of anxiety from the year. But it also stopped my momentum.”

WHO: Ali Brice

WHAT: “After an enforced sabbatical, Eric Meat is back at the office he calls home. Between water cooler gossip, trips to Honkers (everyone’s favourite post-work pub) and a looming appraisal, his loyalty faces its final test. Hilarious, heartfelt and absurd, it’s a story of loyalty, nostalgia and knowing when to let go. How can you come back if you never leave? Best Show Nominee Comedians’ Choice Awards 2022. ‘Ali Brice is funny… a master of the absurd’ **** (List). ‘Comic genius’ **** (Skinny). ‘Side-splittingly comical’ ***** (TheUpcoming.co.uk). ‘Hilarious, unique… surprisingly moving’ **** (Chortle.co.uk).”

WHERE: Room 1 at PBH’s Free Fringe @ Carbon (Venue 180) 

WHEN: 17:30 (60 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

This will be my 13th Fringe. I first went in 2010 and became immediately addicted. Apart from the two COVID years, the only Fringe I have missed since 2010 was 2024. And that is because I wanted to have a holiday with my girlfriend. Maybe I will have another holiday in 2038.

The Fringe is the best place in the world for comedians and comedy fans alike. There is no way to describe it. If you like comedy and haven’t been: GO! But be prepared to spend every August in Edinburgh for the rest of your life (unless you go on holiday!)

What are the big things you’ve learned since 2024 and have you absorbed any of the lessons yet?

Having taken the 2024 Fringe off, I have learned that not having a Fringe to aim for really threw my year out of whack. The Fringe is such a Big Thing and really dominates any year I’m doing it and forces me to write as there is an end goal.

Having no Fringe to aim for allowed me to properly relax and removed a lot of anxiety from the year. But it also stopped my momentum. Now I’m finding it very hard to get up to full capacity and really hit my stride. But I’m getting there!

Tell us about your show.

My show is very silly. And very loose. And that is exactly how I like it.

I play a Northern man called Eric Meat. In the show he is excited as he is at the end of a sabbatical and returning to work the next day. Before he returns to work, he learns that his job doesn’t exist anymore and that he has to apply for a new position and is up against 3 of his colleagues.

It is largely a celebration of work. Which might seem odd. People generally don’t like or celebrate their jobs. I don’t like my day job – but I need it. For the money. But I do like my office and really like my colleagues.

Eric takes this to the extreme.

I also love talking to the crowd. I get distracted very easily and love going off piste and seeing what happens in the room. Sometimes I abandon the show entirely. They’re my favourite shows.

While I love fully polished, well-rehearsed shows. A lot of them follow the same formula. BORING!

Come to my show and see some genuine jeopardy.

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

Sam Nicoresti – she’s always been hilarious but over the last couple of years has become increasingly incredible. Do not miss.

Pat Cahill – the funniest bones in the business.

Joz Norris – a true artist and lovely human.

Lucy Pearman – always a good time.

Andy Barr – one of the best AB comedians in the biz.

Adam Larter – bringing back his ‘Can You Put A Tail On It?’ for, I think, the fourteenth or fifteenth time. Always flies under the radar, this could be the breakthrough year.

Luke Rollason – they’ve won a BAFTA (and I was in the film that won it, and will bask in the reflected glory for the rest of my life) and are brilliant.

Sooz Kempner – believe the hype.

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EdFringe Talk: Mr Woody’s Last Lesson: Confessions of a Teacher

Posted in *EdFestivals 2025, *Written Interviews by

“I’m also hoping to reconnect with long-lost Scottish family. I’ll be the one outside the venue shouting, “Are you my cousin?!” between shows.”

WHO: Woody Clark

WHAT: “Buckle up, folks. After 23 years of holding it together, this teacher is finally off duty… and off the rails. A classroom meltdown like no other – unhinged rants, bad decisions, and a music lesson with more chaos than a school camp. Expect mischievous puppets and brutally honest comedy from a burnt-out teacher on the edge. If you’ve ever wanted to tell a helicopter parent to zip it, this show is for you! Warning: Explicit language and the kind of storytelling that makes a 4pm staff meeting almost tolerable.”

WHERE: Bothie at Gilded Balloon Patter House (Venue 24) 

WHEN: 16:00 (50 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

Yes! We left Australia 6 weeks ago on a madcap musical mission—touring our kids shows across Canada, dodging moose and maple syrup in equal measure. Now we’ve touched down in the UK for our very first Fringe season.

We’ve just ticked Glastonbury off the bucket list (yep, played the Kidzfield while ankle-deep in glitter and mud), and now it’s full steam ahead to Edinburgh, baby! This festival has been a dream for years—a chance to soak up the chaos, make new mates, and connect with UK artists, producers and festivals who’ve probably already walked past our poster 47 times without noticing.

On a personal note, my parents emigrated from the UK to Australia, so I’m also hoping to reconnect with long-lost Scottish family. I’ll be the one outside the venue shouting, “Are you my cousin?!” between shows.

What are the big things you’ve learned since 2024 and have you absorbed any of the lessons yet?

Oh, loads. Some educational, some traumatic.

If you’re an Aussie heading to Canada or Edinburgh— bring thermals. No joke. I wore three pairs of socks and still lost feeling in my toes. I heard summer in Edinburgh happened last Tuesday. Briefly. Around 2pm.

Grizzly bears are majestic. Like giant, angry koalas with biceps. You’ll never look at a eucalyptus tree the same way. Lesson: don’t leave your trail mix in the van.

Good coffee is a rare gem abroad. Bring a portable machine and your favourite local beans. Melbourne’s coffee snobbery is real for a reason—six weeks touring Canada and I only found one proper flat white. Fingers crossed Edinburgh fares better!

“Scenic detours” are a scam. A festival 400 miles away up a mountain may sound romantic, but unless you’ve got a helicopter and a Sherpa, it’s a logistical nightmare. Lesson: Always check the altitude and fuel prices.

Hiring a left-hand drive car to navigate snow, moose, and black bears at 3am through the Rocky Mountains to catch an international flight is not for the faint-hearted—or the sleep-deprived. Lesson: maybe don’t schedule your epic driving adventure immediately before your flight to the UK. Or at least learn which side of the road to drive on before the highway merges.

Tell us about your show.

Mr. Woody’s Last Lesson is what happens when a wholesome Aussie music teacher finally loses the plot.

After 24 years in classrooms—teaching kids to strum ukuleles, dodging parent emails, unblocking toilets, and smiling through lunchtime duty—I (Woody Clark) wrote the show that teachers wish they could say out loud. It’s one big day-from-hell, where everything unravels: the students, the parents, the system… and finally, the teacher. With ukulele solos, misbehaving puppets, and a staffroom’s worth of sarcasm, it’s part meltdown, part love letter to educators everywhere.

I wrote the show myself after years of touring as a children’s performer, with songs on ABC Kids and a mobile ukulele school. It premiered at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival in April 2025 and is now making its glorious UK debut—after surviving a six-week tour across Canada, Glastonbury, and several terrifying experiences with left-hand drive.

After the Fringe, I’m heading back to Australia for a string of Christmas shows, some long-overdue home renovations, and maybe—just maybe—some sleep.

Because when you’ve survived school camps, NAPLAN week (national school testing week), and 1,200 cheese sticks in lost property, you’ve got two choices:

Write your obituary… or write a comedy show.

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

Well, first up—we’ve also got a kids’ show at Gilded Balloon Patter House! So if you’ve got sprogs, small cousins, or want to see me do family-friendly chaos (with ukuleles and puppets), come check it out.

I’ll also be wandering around the Fringe like a lost kangaroo looking for great little shows—so ask me for tips after I’ve seen a few.

My top tip though? Go see my dad’s show – Dave Clark: Australian Folk Singer. He supported Billy Connolly back in 1981 when Billy toured Australia. Dad’s a folk icon from the ’70s who no one remembers now, but he’s still got the goods—concertina, guitar, big heart, and classic Aussie yarns. It’s an hour of Aussie bush ballads, political passion, love songs, and Four Little Johnny Cakes. Pure joy.

And of course, shout out to all my Aussie mates also here to lose money at the Fringe—support them! Seriously talented folk, putting it all on the line.

Check out the epic lineup at House of Oz—a whole season of incredible Australian shows:

Daniel Muggleton – sharp, no-BS stand-up

Josh Glanc – wild sketch meets surrealism

Lady Macbeth Played Wing Defence – a hilarious take on Aussie school sport drama

FLICK – bold solo show diving into memory and trauma

The Listies – absolute legends for kids and adults alike

House of Oz is the unofficial Aussie embassy at Fringe—check it out and support the mob.

Because let’s be honest… if we’re all going to lose money, we may as well lose it together watching incredible art.

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EdFringe Talk: Woody Fu: One Man John Wick

Posted in *EdFestivals 2025, *Written Interviews by

“When I first came I fell in love with all lo-fi theater magic. Shows like Police Cops and Don Juan were so anarchic, fun, and inventive with staging that I was incredibly inspired.”

WHO: Woody Fu

WHAT: “John Wick. John Wick Chapter 2. John Wick Chapter 3. What do these movies have in common? Woody has seen them. Now, he’s embodying the world’s favourite Canadian action star Keanu Reeves in this scripted comedy, calling on the audience to help create movie magic live onstage. There will be car chases, ultra-violence and a plot device labelled “undeveloped dead wife character”. After selling out Hollywood Fringe and winning Best of Fest at Toronto Sketchfest, this hit show comes to Edinburgh! Presented by Chris Grace (Baby Wants Candy, Chris Grace: As Scarlett Johansson, Sardines!).”

WHERE: The Crate at Assembly George Square (Venue 8) 

WHEN: 20:50 (60 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

I first performed in Edinburgh in 2018 with the musical improv group Baby Wants Candy, and as a lead in the scripted comedy “Thrones! The Musical” (I played Jon Snow of course). This is my first time bringing a show and I am thrilled!

When I first came I fell in love with all lo-fi theater magic. Shows like Police Cops and Don Juan were so anarchic, fun, and inventive with staging that I was incredibly inspired. They made me step up every aspect of my own writing and performance.

I also love the community. It’s a rich and fertile group of likeminded international weirdos who are insanely creative and funny, thoughtful and talented. I feel very lucky to be participating this year.

What are the big things you’ve learned since 2024 and have you absorbed any of the lessons yet?

Despite my best intentions I have learned to take care of myself. Did you know that apparently water, exercise, rest and eating greens is somehow good for you? Apparently it’s true! As I come to Edinburgh this year, my main focus will be to not overcommit myself, to just breathe and do one thing at a time. Also! Music is key: Jamie XX to relax, Run the Jewels to get hype.

Tell us about your show.

This is a scripted solo comedy show called WOODY FU: ONE MAN JOHN WICK. Terrible to say out loud, but great for SEO. It takes us on the set of John Wick Chapter 5: E Pluribus Unum. Keanu needs the audience’s help to recreate all the hallmarks of this billion dollar franchise: car chases, gun-fu, and vaguely Eastern European thugs. Audience members become the crew on the “film set,” filling out various jobs like Line Producer, Writer, and most importantly the Key Grip (the keys must be gripped).

Along the way, we’ll ride motorcycles, snap some necks, and revisit Keanu’s most iconic films in a celebration of our favorite sexagenarian Canadian action star. My show enjoyed a sold out run at Hollywood Fringe, and toured the states at comedy festivals. It also won Best of Fest at Toronto Sketchfest!

I’m an actor and comedian based in Los Angeles. I was featured as a New Face of Comedy by Just For Laughs. You may have seen me on ABC, CBS, FX, HBO Max, HULU, Comedy Central, Peacock, and Netflix playing a weirdo character.

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

Sophie’s Surprise 29th is an absolutely perfect show. You will be thrilled and delighted. At one point you will scream and cover your eyes with your hands, only to peak through them.

Baby Wants Candy & Shamilton for top tier musical improv from the very best!

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EdFringe Talk: Transfers

Posted in *EdFestivals 2025, *Written Interviews by

“I hate the role of producer – I’m not good at promotion, the financial obstacles are great and appealing to an audience is like shouting at passing strangers in a hurricane.”

WHO: Martin Foreman

WHAT: “Eight very different people, eight very different situations. How does £500 get passed around? Willingly or violently? As a gift? Blackmail? Payment for drugs? Beauty treatment? A scam? Car repair? Is it stolen? Or lost? In cash or online? In someone’s home? A nightclub? On the street? In a theatre? Perhaps all of these or none. In a newly devised show, see money circulate in a kaleidoscope of comedy, tragedy and the mundane in Britain today.”

WHERE: Space 2 at theSpace on the Mile (Venue 39) 

WHEN: 21:20 (60 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

Thanks for inviting me back to talk about our other Fringe show, A Pound of Flesh, so forgive me if some of my answers are similar to what I said before. 🙂

We’re an Edinburgh-based group of theatre creatives, which means that most of us have been in the Fringe before in different companies and many of us have worked together on other productions in the city during the rest of the year.

The last time I was fully involved in the Fringe was 2019. I hate the role of producer – I’m not good at promotion, the financial obstacles are great and appealing to an audience is like shouting at passing strangers in a hurricane. This year, however, I’m working with a great team and I – and we – are confident that we have two great dramas to offer the world.

I have no idea what makes a great festival. I know what made the Edinburgh Fringe great in the past was the sheer variety of talent that came to perform here from all over the world – and an audience that was excited and enthusiastic about what they were seeing. My fear is that the Fringe has become too commercial – the costs of venue hire and accommodation have shot through the roof, so we get far fewer companies from abroad. Ticket prices have had to go up to meet the cost of venues and that all impacts on the numbers who come to the city and see different shows.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again . . . I would love it if comedy were split off from the rest of the Fringe and held at a different time of year. For financial reasons it won’t happen, but coverage of stand-up reduces the attention paid to theatre and all the great things happening on stage.
Whatever the problems, I know I’ll have a good time seeing lots of new talent and shows – although they will all have to be in the daytime because I’m teching each night throughout the Fringe.

What are the big things you’ve learned since 2024 and have you absorbed any of the lessons yet?

I was only involved in a minor role in 2024 and before that my last contribution to the Fringe was in 2019. The lessons I have learnt are find a producer who has no fear, always be prepared to lose money and above all create a production that wows not just yourself but which wows the world that comes to see it. And don’t forget to see and support as many of the other fantastic performers here that need your support!

Tell us about your show.

I conceived the idea of Transfers – the sum of £500 passing from one person to the next in a never-ending circle – based on Arthur Schnitzler’s notorious La Ronde. That play consisted of a never-ending round of sexual encounters but it’s been done before in many different forms. So instead of body fluids I came up with the idea of money going round and round. And rather than limit the scenes to my own experiences and ideas, I decided it would be a much better play if it were created by the actors themselves.

The first step was to bring on board Michael Robert-Brown, an actor/director I had worked with before and together we put together a cast to represent a cross-section of Britain today. We haven’t managed to tick every box, but we have eight actors, male and female, of different ages, backgrounds and experiences who have come up with eight very different scenes covering issues from trans to Alzheimer’s, homelessness to violence, child custody to OnlyFans.

Michael is not only one of the actors but he brings the play together as director while I’ve taken the scenes that the cast have created, written the initial drafts of the script and together over the rehearsal process we have crafted a play that is in turns tragic, comic, dramatic and – deliberately – mundane.

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

Immediately before Transfers in the same venue is our other production – A Pound of Flesh, a tragoc version of Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice in which Portia cannot save Antonio’s life and Bassanio is forced to face the consquences of his own greed.

Of course I have to draw attention to other Edinburgh-based groups and actors that I have worked with or seen in the past. They include:

EGTG, who always produce fascinating work (disclosure, I worked on one their productions last year), are offering Dario Fo’s The Virtuous Burglar and Lucy Kirkwood’s The Children
This is the last time Arkle Theatre appears at the Fringe – with The Thirty-Nine Steps and A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

One of our cast members, Jed Bury, is also in Holly Street.

In my last interview with GYCO I mentioned other plays I know nothing about but want to see.

Here’s a different list that I hope to get to: The Cadaver Palaver; The Domestiques; Frat; The Lolita Apologies; Love, Death and Shakespeare. . . and there’s a whole lot more.
(Btw not all the plays have X accounts so I have given the Instagram handle if they have one instead.)

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EdFringe Talk: Jimmy Made Parole

Posted in *EdFestivals 2025, *Written Interviews by

“I deliberately chose to step outside of my comfort zone for this year’s Fringe, and so far the process has been very rewarding.”

WHO: Charles Edward Pipe

WHAT: “Join ex-con Jimmy as he brings you along to get ready for his first date since he got out of prison that morning. Along the way he’ll introduce you to a cavalcade of crooked characters, talk you through a smorgasbord of shady schemes, and entice you with a variety of vices. Writer Charles Edward Pipe has previously had success at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe with Five Short Plays Loosely Linked by the Theme of Crime – ***** (TheEdinburghReporter.co.uk) – and Four More Short Plays Loosely Linked by the Theme of Crime: ***** (TheEdinburghReporter.co.uk). ***** (VoiceMag). ***** (One4Review.co.uk).”

WHERE: Snug at Paradise in Augustines (Venue 152) 

WHEN: 15:45 (55 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

No! I first performed at the Fringe as a teenager in 2016, and then returned as a writer, director, and producer in 2023 with ‘Five Short Plays Loosely Linked by the Theme of Crime’, and then again in 2024 with ‘Four More Short Plays Loosely Linked by the Theme of Crime’. This is, however, my first time performing at the Fringe since 2016, and my first ever solo show, so I have a feeling it will be a very different experience.

What are the big things you’ve learned since 2024 and have you absorbed any of the lessons yet?

This show is very different to my previous Fringe shows – in that it’s a solo show rather than a cast of 3. and is one 55-minute story rather than several short plays – so there’s been a bit of a learning curve while developing the show. I deliberately chose to step outside of my comfort zone for this year’s Fringe, and so far the process has been very rewarding. It’s really fun to be able to laser-focus in on one character and spend so much time exploring what makes him tick.

Tell us about your show.

‘Jimmy Made Parole’ is a one-man romantic crime-comedy about a roguish ex-con getting ready for a date. Written by me, starring me, produced by me… it’s very DIY. The plot follows this scoundrel, Jimmy, as he gets ready for a date on the same day he gets released from prison. He needs money – because the money he stashed away before he went to prison is gone when he goes to find it – so he concocts a variety of schemes on the fly to make some money to buy flowers, buy a new suit, and pay for the date. There’s a bare-knuckle boxing match, an illegal casino, an opium den, a bar crawl, and so on.

It’s a very fast-paced show, full of audience interaction, improvisation, dark humour, and optimism.

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

‘Hold the Line’ by my friend Sam Macgregor. It’s a show based on his experiences as an NHS111 call handler.

‘The Dahlia Files’ by Hey Thanks! Theatre Collective – another one-person crime-themed show.

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