Author Archives: Dan Lentell

‘Murder She Didn’t Write’ (Venue 8, until AUG 24th)

Posted in *EdFestivals 2025, 5*, Rated: Outstanding, Theatre by

“This show has energy like a tower full of bells in a fenland flood has energy.”

Editorial Rating: 5 Stars (Outstanding)

Let’s do something that never happens in a whodunit and cut to the chase. Does this show live up to the hype? Yes. Yes, it really, Really, REALLY does. How so? Because this cast could improv the phonebook (are those still a thing?) and make it funny. Besides which not one of them would look out of place in shot next to Carmichael as Wimsey or Suchet as Poirot. This show looks like this show should look. It’s as if Chris Van Allsburg had the idea of being trapped in a board game but stuck with Cluedo instead of pointlessly inventing Jumanji. 

We enter to find it’s Peter Baker in the detective’s hot seat today. Baker once played Trigger in ‘Only Fools And Horses The Musical’ at the Theatre Royal Haymarket, but today he’s in more Reg Rexis from ‘Health and Efficiency’ mode. He’s swave. He’s sexy. He’s a know-it-all who doesn’t quite remember to remember the corpse’s name.

Rachel Procter-Lane, Catlin Campbell (as Morag, the one what it was done to), Stephen Clements, Mathew Whittle, as well as Oh Bugger Chat GPT Can’t / Won’t Tell Me (as the one what done it) are an eclectic range of uniformly smart, sassy, and sophisticated improvers who fill the 70 minutes with stage traffic that’s as pacy as the Orient Express in summer. Campbell, the co-founder and Artistic Director of the Bristol Improv Theatre, has a properly lovely voice, more of that, please, especially since Sara Garrard is at the piano – seriously, Chat GPT I don’t think that’s the dude’s name (maybe their website needs updating?).

This show has energy like a tower full of bells in a fenland flood has energy. Sometimes it misses the really clever things I would have said. Today Campbell died with a caber up her backside – “It was alimentary, my Dear Watson.” Yet, this show is a witty and worthy annual presence in the city that’s home to both Conan-Doyle’s letter to his auld medical school lecturer crediting Joseph Bell as the inspiration for Holmes, as well as Doyle’s PhD thesis on syphilis – both written in a hand so neat as to unmask him instantly as a total bam.

Improv either works or it doesn’t. This format really works as stagecraft and light entertainment. It’s a crowd pleaser because the crowd is pleased, as well they should be. Come for the current cult classic. Stay for Christiean sumptuousity. Get your Burberry trench coats on and go see this!

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‘Biff to the Future’ (Venue 3, until AUG 24th)

Posted in *EdFestivals 2025, 5*, Rated: Nae Bad, Theatre by

“Butt-head-ressed by a pedantic depth of knowledge of and nerdish insight into the immortally classic original material.”

Editorial Rating: 5 Stars (Nae Bad)

Blockbuster (yet cult) movie franchise PLUS double Olivier Award-nominated direction PLUS writing and performance by a Reduced Shakespeare Company alumn EQUALS theatre so sensational it might have been routed through a flux capacitor. “Tell me, Future Boy, who’s President of the United States in 1985?” There’s a charm and an innocence to the movies, none of which is generated by one of the greatest movie villains of all time, the bozo bully Biff Tannen – the possibly probably love child of Shooter McGavin and Dr Evil.

Here are elements of the trilogy mixed, mashed, and lovingly upcycled into a homage worthy of the great Thomas F. Wilson himself. The stories are told from Biff’s perplexed and (rather unpolysyllabic) perspective. As all of the parts, Joseph Maudsley, hits all the notes, from Marty McFly on C6 (≈ 1046.5 Hz) down to the irascible Mr. Strickland on C2 (≈ 65.4 Hz). It’s like Maudsley’s playing an 80s electric keytar – which he is at one point. There’s prop gags, word play, surrealist riffs and improv, plus some properly totes hilar audience interaction, all butt-head-ressed by a pedantic depth of knowledge of and nerdish insight into the immortally classic original material.

Biff in the movies is a rather two-dimensional character – more Gilray than Hogarth. The genius of Maudsley’s approach is to add on existential dimensions that have you feeling pangs of sympathy for Hill Valley’s gobbiest gobshite like he’s sitting in his tent the night before Bosworth Field feeling sorry for himself.

I properly love Piccolo Tent at Assembly George Square Gardens, but it’s not quite the perfect stage for this staggeringly affectionate tribute. There’s one prop gag which is impossible to see from the back, which is a shame because it’s one of the funniest. Maudsley fills the space like he’s filling a 1946 Ford Super DeLuxe with manure. The comedy piles on and on, for the first and only time this Fringe, I am wishing the running time was longer.

Come for the nostalgia. Stay for the freshness. Put your custom-made red quilted puffer vests on and go see this!

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‘The Bubble Show®’ (Venue 3, until AUG 17th)

Posted in *EdFestivals 2025, 5*, Rated: Outstanding, Theatre by

“Mr Bubbles has toured the world with this show and every step on his journey has made it faster, higher, stronger.”

Editorial Rating: 5 Stars (Outstanding)

Happiness is very much like bubbles, and bubbles are very much like happiness. The potential for both is everywhere. Coming in every shape and in size, it just needs someone special to make the magic happen right there before our eyes. Beloved EdFringe fixture Mr Bubbles is that someone special. Over the years, his deceptively simple act has enchanted audiences young and auld, including some who were young and are now a wee bit aulder.

We enter Piccolo Tent at Assembly George Square Gardens to find the instantly recognisable and some less familiar tricks of Mr Bubble’s trade, as well as the costumes and props which make this show a game of two halves. First, there’s the science section. Helium bubbles. Square bubbles. Bubbles within bubbles. Bubbles with children inside. Bubbles filled with smoke, every bubble a wonder and delight. Second, there’s the sensory, super-chilled section. Finally, there are the supermassive (no, seriously, they’re chuffing ginormous) bubbles.

In her EdFringe notebook, the one with a woodcut of Agnes Pockels doing the dishes on the cover, Daughter 1.0 (10yrs) wrote: “I really enjoyed the bubble Man. I really liked how he created all kinds of Interesting bubbles. I also liked his adience Interactions and how he was bubbly and exiting. I also liked going Inside a bubble. I also enjoyed his bubble animals and his beautiful bubble art.”

A lifetime ago, in 2019, I wrote of Mr Bubbles, “He is young and his show feels like it will ripen with age.” Six years on, and that prediction has been fulfilled and then some. The same beautiful, delightful, twinkling energy is here. The same pace, precision, and purpose is here, but there’s that same powerful difference as between a photo taken with The Bubble Space Telescope versus one snapped by James Webb. The depth, the contrasts, the overall impact is lightyears ahead of where we were.

Mr Bubbles has toured the world with this show and every step on his journey has made it citius, altius, fortius. It is an Olympian feat, and rediscovering The Bubble Show® feels akin to a beachcomber finding blue seaglass or a narwhale’s tusk. In the delightful setting of Piccolo Tent, this show is fast approaching utter perfection.

Come for the bubbles. Stay for the bubbles. Get your Dolce & Gabbana 1990s Bubble Wrap Jackets on and go see this!

 

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‘Knightclub’ (Venue 53, until AUG 23rd)

Posted in *EdFestivals 2025, 5*, Rated: Outstanding, Theatre by

“A pun-tastic crowd pleaser that’s as smart as it is sensationally funny.”

Editorial Rating: 5 Stars (Outstanding)

Spruce Moose Comedy build on their growing reputation for zany antics and playful performances in this latest comedy rocking our EdFringe world. This year, it’s monks getting into bad habits. Tamothy and Brother Jack are dreaming of life beyond the cloister and the cloying smugosity of their Abbot. Tamothy dreams of being a touring tournament knight and with the beefy and by no means adverse to bending an already broken taboo Brother Jack by his side, who’s to stop him… except a scheming rival and a pack of dastardly Frenchmen determined to wreak havoc, wreck the peace of Europe, and capture the King.

Here is that most glorious thing, a pun-tastic crowd pleaser that’s as smart as it is sensationally funny. This is the most fun cast you are likely to find. Horribly young, horribly cocky, horribly talented, having a horribly lovely time. It’s enough to make you stick Spruce Moose Comedy in your must-see column year after year. Their justifiable confidence in the work and in each other keeps the momentum steady as we hurtle through scene after scene packed with mirthful mayhem.

There’s slapstick, wordplay, character comedy, history jokes, farce and an (almost) deep and meaningful meditation on the value of friendship and the dangers of temptation. At 50 minutes, the show is razor sharp and packed to the gunwales. This is a cast you’ll be boasting of having seen back when. Come for the silliness. Stay for the feeling of being in on something at the beginning. Get your chainmail coats on and go see this!

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‘On the Harmful Effects of Tobacco’ (Venue 53, until AUG 18th)

Posted in *EdFestivals 2025, 4*, Rated: Outstanding by

“It’s classic comic storytelling done proper.”

Editorial Rating: 4 Stars (Outstanding)

Is tobacco as harmful as unhappiness? Anton Chekhov’s masterful short story, first published in 1886, is a tongue-in-cheek satire of pedantic intellectualism, the superficiality of social performance, and human hypocrisy. Ivan Ivanovich Nyukhin has been voluntold by his wife to give a lecture on the dangers of smoking. Soon, he’s gone off topic and begins laying bare his unhappiness and his failed dreams.

Andrew Hogarth, artistic director of No Frills Theatre Company takes to the stage every inch a Nyukhin. His waistcoat is buttoned askew. His pocket square makes no effort to match his tie. He is a man in a hurry with nowhere to be. A surly yet ingratiating confidence marks a set of audience interactions which do much to create a sense of moment and immediacy. Over a marathon sprint of 25 minutes, Andrew hits all the hilariously henpecked one-liners in Nyukhin’s classic monologue. It’s not groundbreaking. It’s classic comic storytelling done proper.

Hogarth’s vision for No Frills is of open access to the arts on stage as well as off. His theatrecraft is ultra-natural and feels spontaneous even as it ouses precision and preparation like a particularly pleasant and well-chosen reed diffuser – black tea and earthy woods for Chekhov, I think.

Perhaps because I have chosen to sit on top of the AC unit and have used my pull at Space to have it set on full blast, I struggle slightly to hear every word which may or may not be my fault. Still, this show could do with a mic and I would have liked a little bit of sound collage to help set the scene, but then I guess those would be frills to an absolutist. Absolutely come for the storytelling done just right. Stay for a classic smashed over the boundary line. Get your shinels on and go see this!

PS. I will be making every effort to see ‘The Bear’ – the other (50min) Chekhov No Frills are presenting from the 19th.

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‘I’m Not Saying We Should, But What If We Did?’ (Venue 16, until AUG 16th)

Posted in *EdFestivals 2025, 5*, Rated: Nae Bad, Theatre by

“As Maud and Agnes, Harriet Pringle and Lizzie White are sensational.”

Editorial Rating: 5 Stars (Nae Bad)

38%. That’s how much domestic violence rates increase when England loses a match. Between the fallen angel and the rising ape, few other statistics lay quite so bare the glaring awfulness of men’s behaviour towards women. In so many contexts. Across class and creed, culture and class something is wrong and it isn’t getting right by itself.

We enter to find ourselves about to go live. The TV studio is abuzz as aspiring leaders Maud and Agnes get ready to be grilled about their clickbait policy options – no men allowed out of the house without written permission, no men in gynaecology, no men allowed to drive. It’s crazy because these things are being suggested for men. Then again, go next door to The Surgeons’ Hall exhibition on ‘Women in Surgery’ and you can see how things once were in the city now so proud to have produced pioneers like Sophia Jex-Blake and Elsie Inglis.

This production asks some pointed, impertinent, and ultra-provocative questions. Are we trying to solve our problems, or are certain clownish performative politicians surfing the tides of frustration and despondency simply for effect? If a man can be elected to the White House or to Downing Street by playing a bafoonish persona for all it is worth, why not two women literally Pagliaccing themselves before the cameras? 

As Maud and Agnes, Harriet Pringle and Lizzie White are sensational. For all the comic exaggeration and effect, these are two highly nuanced performances which also deliver the counterbalancing expressions of anger, loss, and betrayal with heart-string-tugging urgency. Surely scaffolded by exceptionally strong supporting performances by Liz McKenna, Abbie Want and Mukuka Jumah, I have a feeling we will be hearing great things from Pringle and White in the not-too-distant future when this caustic and challenging (but bang on the money) piece of juvenilia (with its unaccountably clumsy ending) has been chalked up to experience.

Here is a show taking risks and winning. Here is a company (Minotaur of the University of East Anglia) living up to its reputation while refusing to rest on past laurels. If the plan was for ‘I’m Not Saying We Should, But What If We Did?’ to showcase talent, push boundaries, and challenge prevailing approaches and orthodoxies, then… job done. Top marks.

Come for the absurdly urgent premise. Stay because you’re going to want to tell folks you saw these performers back when. Get your coats on and go see this! (Chaps, please remember to ask permission of the relevant matriarch before leaving the house.)

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‘Paris in a Jazz Age: The Memoirs of Eloise Defleur’ (Venue 43, until AUG 16th)

Posted in *EdFestivals 2025, 5*, Cabaret, Musical Theatre, Rated: Outstanding, Theatre by

“As Eloise, Airlie Scott, sparkles like a coupe of champagne at one of Gatsby’s shindigs.”

Editorial Rating: 5 Stars (Outstanding)

There are moments in human history which excite the potential time-travelling tourist more than others. Shakespeare’s London and Edo-era Tokyo have to be pretty high on the list, but Paris in a Jazz Age might well top the itinerary. The Hot Jazz Vagabonds have hit upon a genius way to conjure the glitz and the glamour, the triumph and the tragedy of that sparkling moment of bold artistic achievement. They have created a spoken word memoir, a parade of memories recalled to us by a charming central character, Eloise DeFleur. Eloise is a British upper-crust vocalist who arrived on the scene to get down and flirty in the nightclubs and cafes of the French capital at its most intoxicating. On these pacy vignettes is hung a string of familiar jazz hits played as well as they have ever been played by anyone, anywhere, anywhen.

As Eloise, Airlie Scott, sparkles like a coupe of champagne at one of Gatsby’s shindigs. Best known for her Doris Day Show, Scott looks the part in a trés chic red sequin number that leaves plenty of room for fancy footwork. Eloise’s story is told with a passion so intense that it lifts us from our (really rather comfortable) Space Amphitheatre seats and onto rickety auld wooden numbers in a smokey backroom off the Rue Reine d’Écosse. Scott’s audience interactions are lively and elegant, her voice strong yet supple, owning each phrase and lyric like they were especially written for her. The band she’s leading are simply magnifique. Not a note not in place, not a beat missed, every swing a sensation. 

This show was originally twice the length, and I would crawl over broken glass or maybe even use a French public toilet (if I really had to), to see the full version. As it is, distilled into its most essential, most vivacious, and most memorable triple-shot espresso form, it is a triumphal blend of music, theatre, comedy, and romance – the must-see late-night musical marvel of the moment. Come for the jazz. Stay for the sass. Get your cream double-breasted overcoats on and go see this!

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‘Elon Musk: Lost in Space’ (Venue 53, until AUG 23rd)

Posted in *EdFestivals 2025, 3*, Rated: Nae Bad by

“The word ‘populist’ is today deployed with the same offhanded disdain as many (if not most) 18th and 19th-century scholars used when discussing ‘democracy’.”

Editorial Rating: 3 Stars (Nae Bad)

Alexander Hamilton (of musical fame) once (allegedly) wrote, “Your people, sir, is a great beast.” At the heart of the Great American Republic is a great experiment in democratic self-rule, untried anywhere else in the human story. For obvious reasons, those at the top, the cultural, economic, and social elites, have had one or six problems with the notion that everybody gets a say. The word ‘populist’ is today deployed with the same offhanded disdain as many (if not most) 18th and 19th-century scholars used when discussing ‘democracy’.

The people should collectively decide things. The things they decide should have broad, popular support. It’s amazing how many intelligent people down the years have struggled (and are struggling) to get their heads around these notions.

The first great (but was he good?) populist leader of a democracy was Cleon of 5th-century Athens. We know as much about him as we do thanks to the fierce criticism of him by the playwright Aristophanes. Arstophanes’ loathing of Cleon is a recurring theme in his comedies – in ‘The Acharnians’ (425 BC, written soon after Cleon sued Aristophanes for his satiric portrait in a previous work); in ‘The Knights’ (424 BC, in which Aristophanes acted the part of Cleon because no one else dared to); in ‘The Wasps’ (422 BC); and in ‘Peace’ (421 BC, written after Cleon was dead). 10 years later Athens’ democracy would be interrupted in the first of the several stallings that would lead to its final falling. 

Will David Morley’s satire of Donald Trump and Elon Musk have the same impact or legacy? Glass coffin / remains to be seen. At 70 minutes long, it fatally breaks one of the taboos of Edinburgh’s own August Lenaia by flabbily overrunning. Morley is perhaps best known as the writer of radio plays, and frankly, it is impossible to pretend that there is much of anything visual to see on stage in the course of his occasionally comic drama.

We enter to find ourselves aboard the ‘Heart of Gold’ – Morley co-produced ‘The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy’ national tour, 2010-13 and spotting the Adamsages is one recommended way to pass the time. Celebrated voice actor Ben Whitehead (as Elon Musk) is jockishly playing a video game on a large screen while Sarah Lawrie (as his matriarchal robot pal who’s fun to be with) preps for the flight to Mars. As things go up and then come crashing down, there’s some ego jousting with Donald Trump in the White House, a slightly peculiar section with a woke AI Sir Patrick Moore, some not very illuminating interjections by Professor Brian Cox, and that’s about it. There is a really interesting bit with AI Arthur C. Clarke that never quite lassos the wormhole.

The scifi content of this show is so light it would struggle to stay put on the surface of Kepler-10c. It is unfair to compare and contrast relatively low-budget apples and multi-million dollar pears, but let’s do it anyway. This show is not Apple TV’s ‘For All Mankind’ not because of a lack of cashish, but because it’s so unabitious. This isn’t a deep-dive into the science of spaceflight or meditation on what becoming a multi-planetary species might mean for humanity’s humanity. Neither is it an especially strong piece of psycho-portraiture. Musk is written as a caricature of a caricature. It’s not biting satire of its subject, more sucking very hard on it, nibbling it in an unaffectionate kind of a way.

This is a show title and a poster all but guaranteed to get the bums of a very particular section of society into seats. If the aim was to satirise the audience, this show is a triumph. As a take-down of the powerful egos (mis)managing our chaotic present, it’s about as successful as Aristophanes, who could successfully heckle Cleon but never unshackle Athens from his sway.

There is a good play in there. What’s on stage right now is just too long and says too little. It panders like a bear eating bamboo all day. Come for two excellent performances. Stay for the air conditioning. Get your flight suits on and go see this if you have time and space.

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EdFringe Talk: Jerry’s Girls

Posted in *EdFestivals 2025, *Written Interviews by

“What I really love about the Fringe is the inclusivity, it’s a place where everyone can have a voice.”

WHO: Aoife Summers

WHAT: “Broadway’s leading ladies rise again in this haunting reimagining of the classic Jerry Herman revue. Set in a forgotten theatre where echoes of the past linger, this spooky and stylish production brings a ghostly twist to beloved songs from Hello, Dolly!, Mame, La Cage aux Folles and more! Featuring live music and ethereal glamour, Jerry’s Girls is a dazzling celebration of showbiz legends who never really left the spotlight. A must-see for musical theatre lovers and anyone who believes the show must go on – even from beyond the grave.”

WHERE: Sanctuary at Paradise in Augustines (Venue 152) 

WHEN: 21:25 (90 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

This will be my second time at the Edinburgh Fringe with Never Ending Theatre. We brought The Last Five Years last year, and I had the absolute best time. It was such a whirlwind of rehearsals, flyering, quick turnarounds, and meeting audiences from all over the world. I came away buzzing with ideas and feeling so inspired by the sheer variety of work on offer.

What I really love about the Fringe is the inclusivity, it’s a place where everyone can have a voice, whether you’re a brand-new company performing in a tiny room or a big-name act on a major stage. There’s a real sense that all stories are welcome, and that makes it incredibly special.

Coming back this year with Jerry’s Girls feels like we get to build on that first experience, but with a show that’s pure joy to share. I love the challenge of producing and directing in such a fast-paced environment, but I also love being a punter! Ducking into something I’d never normally see, and leaving with a huge grin on my face. The Fringe is all about that mix of planned highlights and unexpected discoveries, and I can’t wait to dive back in.

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

Since 2024, I’ve learned that running a show at the Fringe is as much about stamina and teamwork as it is about artistry. Last year taught me to rely on and celebrate my team, we all wear so many hats here, and you can’t do it alone. I’ve also learned to embrace the chaos rather than fight it; the unexpected often leads to the best moments.

One big shift for me has been confidence! I now feel braver in my creative choices and bolder in telling our company’s story. I’ve also made peace with the fact that you can’t see everything at the Fringe… and that’s okay. What matters is being present, supporting others, and making the most of the time you have here.

Tell us about your show.

Jerry’s Girls is our ghostly love letter to Broadway. It’s a reimagining of the classic music by broadway composer Jerry Herman, but instead of the glitzy Vegas-style staging you might expect, we’ve set it in a forgotten theatre where phantom showgirls belt out these iconic numbers! Think Hello, Dolly!, Mack and Mabel, La Cage aux Folles, with a mix of glamour, mischief, and a little bit of haunting.

I’m directing and producing, with the brilliant Jack Gardner as our Musical Director. We’ve got a fantastic team of performers and creatives, many of us worked together on last year’s The Last Five Years, so it feels like getting the band back together but with a bigger, bolder concept.

Never Ending Theatre is a young company based in Edinburgh, founded in 2022, and made up of female, LGBTQ+, and non-binary artists. Our mission is to make theatre that’s accessible, inclusive, and unapologetically creative. Whether that’s a rock musical, an intimate two-hander, or a ghostly cabaret. We’re all about bringing diverse stories to life and making sure audiences of all backgrounds feel welcome in our spaces.

This is the show’s Fringe premier! The show was previously directed by Kris Harding (Blood Brothers, Starlight Express, The Last Five Years) in 2023, and he has passed on his concept to us allowing us to build this adaption specifically for the Fringe. We’re not locking ourselves into a plan for what’s next just yet, but I’d love to tour it or bring it back for another run, because these songs and this concept have so much life in them… even if our characters are technically dead.

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

Once you’ve joined our ghostly showgirls in Jerry’s Girls, I’d say keep the musical theatre train rolling—there’s so much brilliant work at the Fringe this year. Come From Away from Captivate Theatre is a masterclass in storytelling and ensemble work! and If you want something darker, Sweeney Todd, also from Captivate Theatre, is a deliciously twisted treat.

Derby Day is totally different again: fast-paced, funny, and packed with big personalities—it’s like spending an afternoon with your most chaotic friends.

For rock lovers, Mary Queen of Rock! by Pretty Knickers Productions is pure joy—a mash-up of history and head-banging you didn’t know you needed. Frozen Love from Era Productions is another must-see, a powerful musical journey that blends vibrant storytelling with unforgettable music. And School of Rock from Forth Children’s Theatre? Just try to watch it without grinning the whole way through. The energy is infectious and the kids are insanely talented.

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EdFringe Talk: Shiva for Anne Frank

Posted in *EdFestivals 2025, *Written Interviews by

“I love the number 23 bus. Shout out, number 23 bus! I sit in the front row on the top level, and I love every second of it.”

WHO: Rachel McKay Steele

WHAT: “A celebration of Jewish Identity, girlhood, and community mourning. Can one Jewish comedian relate herself to Anne Frank? Although one of the most famous and recognisable young women in the world, Frank’s legacy is often simplified so she can remain a saintly beacon from one of humanity’s darkest chapters. Now that we find ourselves in yet another dark chapter, come laugh, celebrate, and mourn as filtered through her nose-job, Bat Mitzvah, and a one-night stand with a German. She’s trying to meet the moment but showing up fashionably late (with snacks) instead.”

WHERE: Playground 2 at ZOO Playground (Venue 186) 

WHEN: 14:20 (60 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

It is! I think it’s absolutely incredible that there is a huge performing arts festival and people are coming from all over to perform in it and/or to watch and enjoy art. For a month, this beautiful city just celebrates art. I wish I was expressing this sentiment in a more articulate manner, but it’s just so cool and awesome!

As a performer, it has certainly been hard, and I’ve had days where I am exhausted and anxious and lonely except for the one hour I’m on stage. It’s been a dream come true to come here, and I think it’s a testament to the festival that the dream isn’t ruined by just how overwhelming it can be sometimes. It’s starting to feel less insane, so I’ve been able to enjoy myself more.

Also, as someone who spends a lot of time in a car in Los Angeles, I love the number 23 bus. Shout out, number 23 bus! I sit in the front row on the top level, and I love every second of it.

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

I just got engaged, and it’s so new I’m still being really annoying about it. But in the year leading up to it, I learned even more about what it means to be present in a relationship and for someone you love. And not just when things are hard, but I’ve been trying to learn how to show up and make someone feel loved when things are going well too. It can be too easy to go into auto pilot sometimes.

I’ve also learned how much the heart can expand. I got to spend some really quality time with my best friend and her daughters recently. We don’t live even remotely close to each other, and I hadn’t seen her and her family in 6 years. And my heart just got bigger in the best way possible to contain her girlies too. The movie “In Her Shoes” is a criminally underrated Romcom that also features a character reading the e.e. Cummings poem, “I carry my heart in your heart,” and I’ve come to believe our hearts can carry so many hearts.

Continuing the love theme, one thing I haven’t learned is who won Love Island UK. It airs behind the UK schedule in the US, and I haven’t been able to catch up on it since I got here. NOBODY LET ME LEARN WHO WON LOVE ISLAND UK BEFORE I GET TO WATCH IT.

Tell us about your show.

I wrote it! Yay me!

Shiva for Anne Frank celebrates girlhood, horniness, and being an imperfect human (so being a human). It’s about growing up Jewish in the American south and trying to define chutzpah. I’m honoring and mourning Anne Frank, not the idea of her, but the fullness of who she was in her short life. She was really funny! People should know/remember how funny she was.

This show started as an ill conceived, one-off bit in a comedy show, yet I thought this could be something. I was re-reading the diary and connecting with it in such a new way as an adult. I had also just started working on it it when those Party City, Hitler youth, knock-offs marched in Charlottesville, Virginia chanting “Jews will not replace us,” so it felt politically relevant in a new way too. And it certainly doesn’t seem to becoming less politically relevant, though I would love that, not just because I’d like less fascism and fewer bad things to happen, but then I could spend more time talking about Anne (and myself!)

I first workshopped it in 2018. I performed it a handful of times at the 2019 Hollywood Fringe, but then took several years away from it. I started reworking and revising at the end of 2023, and it’s such a different show now, I debating changing the title to reflect just how much it has changed. But I love the title.

I hope to keep performing the show after the festival. I don’t know where I will be taking it, but I will let as many people as possible know when I do!

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

Honey Honey, Moon Moon- Couplet. They are hilarious and delightful. They are incredibly talented musicians and songwriters. If you like joy, you will love it. I saw the show in LA at Hollywood Fringe, and then I saw it again here.

Medium Dead- Eleanor Shaw. She’s the show in Zoo Playground 2 after mine, so you can literally see it right after you’ve seen mine. I really loved it. It is deeply funny and deeply dark. Eleanor is a gifted performer and is so charming in a role that shouldn’t be able to charm you. Really inventive and very human.

The Butterfly Who Flew into a Rave- Oli Mathiesen with Lucy Lynch and Sharvon Mortimer. I’ve never seen anything like it. It’s like if Pina Bausch and Daft Punk had a love child and raised it on Red Bull and then it just went harder than you’ve ever seen modern dance go before.

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