Author Archives: Dan Lentell

EdFringe Talk: The Strongest Girl in the World

Posted in *EdFestivals 2025, *Written Interviews by

“We have also learned a lot about visual storytelling—mainly from watching children’s shows.”

WHO: Truly Siskind-Weiss

WHAT: “Gather round the campfire for this funny and nostalgic play about love, loss and summer camp. Truly doesn’t remember her dad. Not really. Instead, she’s collected songs, objects and stories to build a picture of who he was. Join her as she embarks on a journey to discover her father, and uncovers her childhood self along the way. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll yearn for the early 2000s. Come see this story of fear and bravery that examines how we remember those we’ve lost.”

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

WHEN: 14:20 (60 min)

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Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

Dark Skies Ensemble brought a work in progress production of The Strongest Girl in the World to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2023. Since then, our company has expanded the show, and we’re so excited to share the full production with Fringe audiences. The Fringe is an amazing opportunity for artists to connect with one another, and support each other’s work. We met our now producer, Alexandra Scordato, at the 2023 Fringe and feel lucky to now have her as a member of our team. We look forward to the connections we will forge this year, and can’t wait to see all of the other creative work on offer!

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

One big thing that we’ve learned since performing the show as a Work In Progress in 2023, is that it’s important to invite the audience to laugh from the very beginning of the show when you’re sharing a story that is so personal and, on the surface, very somber. Watching other performances that handled dark stories with a bit of humor, we noticed that audiences were more comfortable laughing when the actor and script gave them permission to take the story a bit less seriously. We’re excited to share this new script with audiences, and we know that they will come away feeling lighter. We have also learned a lot about visual storytelling—mainly from watching children’s shows. We find that theatre for young audiences often does a better job at engaging the audience visually, and finding exciting and unexpected ways to tell the story through set. Our show uses pop up books to bring our audience on a journey, and to bridge the gap between Truly’s childhood self, and her teenage and adult selves.

Tell us about your show.

The Strongest Girl in the World is a poignant and surprisingly funny one woman show about love, loss, and summer camp. Truly doesn’t remember her dad. Not really. Instead, she’s collected songs, objects, and stories to build a picture of who he was. Join her as she embarks on a journey to connect with her father, and watch as she uncovers her childhood self along the way. This universal story thoughtfully examines how we remember those we’ve lost. It’s a love letter to Truly’s father, and the sassy and young girl who was the Strongest Girl in the World.

The play was written and performed by Truly Siskind-Weiss and it details her own personal experience of loss. Director Ellie Stevens studied with Truly Siskind-Weiss at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, where they bonded over a love of rainbow sprinkles, Gilmore Girls, and art that centers and celebrates teen and tween girls. They have worked together for nearly 3 years to bring this personal and important story to life, and have performed works in progress of the play at London’s Bread and Roses Theatre, Bristol’s Alma Tavern Theatre, and the 2023 Edinburgh Fringe. They have a reading of the finished script at Manhattan Theatre Club this fall, and are thrilled to be returning to Truly’s homework of New York City for a preview run in 59E59 theatre’s East to Edinburgh Festival. The show has been coproduced by American company Forgotten Ones and Scottish Company Dark Skies Ensemble.

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

We’re excited to see our friend Anaïs Gralpois’ stand up show, American Fetish! We also think An Ode to the Casting Director by Sophie Fisher looks great! And, we love anything that comedian Cat Cohen does! We’re also excited to see our producer’s other show on at the Fringe: Behind by Sibet Partee.

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EdFringe Talk: Cardstock

Posted in *EdFestivals 2025, *Written Interviews by

“As migrant women and student creators, we spent a long time waiting to feel “ready,” “qualified,” or “legitimate enough” to speak.”

WHO: Lin Cao

WHAT: “BL web novelist Mae is about to publish her first print book, but censorship forces her to revise it – triggering backlash from her obsessive fan Lily. As Lily’s buried trauma surfaces, Mae’s fantasy world begins to unravel, growing increasingly surreal and absurd. Drawn into the same interrogation room by surveillance and fate, the two women slowly build a fragile trust. This is a story about internet fringe culture, gender identity and female desire. It’s a torrent of images including abandoned manuscripts, folded posters and paper-thin characters. They attempt to rewrite a creased cardstock between fiction and reality.”

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

WHEN: 11:20 (60 min)

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Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

Yes — this is our first time bringing a show to the Edinburgh Fringe, and it feels both thrilling and terrifying in the best way.

As emerging migrant artists and students, we’ve long admired EdFringe from afar — not just for its scale, but for the values it claims to uphold: openness, experimentation, and decentralised creative voices. This is the kind of platform we dreamed of when we began working on Cardstock — a story that sits between categories, between cultures, and between fiction and reality.

We’ve attended other festivals as audiences, volunteers, and student artists — but producing for EdFringe is a completely different scale of responsibility. You’re not just sharing work; you’re negotiating space, attention, survival, and visibility in a system that’s exciting but also overwhelming.

What makes a great festival isn’t just the shows — it’s the chance to be in a space where you’re reminded that someone else, somewhere, might be folding a story too — and that your voices might crease, overlap, or echo. That possibility is worth everything.

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

Since 2024, the biggest thing we’ve learned is that permission doesn’t come — you have to claim it.

As migrant women and student creators, we spent a long time waiting to feel “ready,” “qualified,” or “legitimate enough” to speak. But the world didn’t wait for us — and neither did the stories we needed to tell. Cardstock was born from the urgency of voices that don’t fit, that aren’t easily platformed, that carry contradiction and risk. In 2024, we started listening to those voices — including our own.

We’ve also learned that making work collectively doesn’t mean compromising vision — it means expanding it. We learned how to fold scarcity into innovation, and how to hold space for each other’s pain, humour, and creative edges. Producing this show taught us to stop asking for approval — and instead, to write our own structure, even if it’s made of paper.

Some lessons are still being absorbed. But we’re no longer waiting for the right time. This is the time.

Tell us about your show.

Cardstock is an original play written by Qianyue Ang and co-produced by Lin Cao, Dina Nan, and Yuqi Wen — all of us migrant women who met while studying in the UK. The show is presented by HERstage & Seagull Sisters Productions, both collectives formed by emerging Asian artists seeking to tell stories often excluded from mainstream stages.

The idea began in a university dorm room, sparked by a single line from a real news story: “I feel like a piece of paper. And paper can’t stand.” That sentence stayed with us. We started folding it into a play — literally. Everything in our show is made from paper: the set, the metaphors, the memory.

We premiered Cardstock at Brighton Fringe in May 2025 — no marketing budget, just a suitcase full of foldable props and a lot of hope. To our surprise, we received a four-star review and powerful audience responses. Edinburgh is our next leap. After that, we hope to tour in London and return to Asia, especially to spaces where censorship and silence still shape how women are allowed to speak.

This play isn’t perfect. But it’s standing — creased, but upright.

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

After Cardstock, we hope you go see Is This Normal? by Ansa Edim — a one-woman show that’s sharp, hilarious, and unexpectedly intimate.

It’s for anyone who’s ever rehearsed break-up speeches in the mirror (guilty). With wit and warmth, Ansa unpacks heartbreak, self-worth, and the delusions we wrap in bedsheets. It’s solo storytelling at its best — punchy, personal, and beautifully written.

We left the trailer smiling, and the title alone deserves a standing ovation.
Catch it at theSpace @ Surgeons Hall, Aug 13–15. You won’t regret it.

Fringe isn’t just about scale — it’s about truth. And Is This Normal? tells it with grace and laughter.

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EdFringe Talk: Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind (30 Plays in 60 Minutes)

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“The script is a selection of 90 plays performed and written during the company’s first 25 years, hand-picked by Greg Allen, the creator of the genre.”

WHO: El Belilty

WHAT: “A variety show that melds together a myriad of different genres, each connected by audience interaction. From raunchy comedies to honest confessions, each play presents its own story, statement and/or improvisation that will take you through a rollercoaster of emotions. The ensemble will both guide you and be guided by you throughout the 60 minutes of our show. Every performance will be unique and entirely dictated by you – our audience! If you sit close enough, you may even star in the show yourself…”

WHERE: Upper Theatre at theSpace @ Niddry St (Venue 9) 

WHEN: 18:15 (60 min)

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Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

Yes, this is my first time in Edinburgh! Although I’ve participated in Fringe before (Hollywood Fringe Festival), the Edinburgh Fringe is an entirely new and unique experience. As the largest and first Fringe Festival in the world, the HFF was only a tiny taste of the energy, art, and creativity of EdFringe—which excites me beyond compare. The sheer amount of art brought here, both new works and old, and the range of every genre imaginable, make this the most inspiring environment to be in as an artist. I hope to leave this experience with new perspectives on art and creation, as well as a deeper understanding of the cultures, countries, and walks of life represented by those around me.

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

Honestly, since beginning this project in 2024, I’ve grown as both an artist and a person. This project has taught me patience, self-confidence, trust (in myself and others), and leadership. Transitioning from assistant directing at HFF24 to directing this production, I’ve become more self-assured, confident, and clear about the kind of art I want to put into the world. In times like these—marked by war, famine, fascism, genocide, and climate change—theatre is more important than ever. It remains a medium for true connection and change, and it’s an honor to bring joy to everyone who walks into our show. I know this is only the beginning of my journey of growth, and I cannot wait to see what more I can learn and gain from my actors, crew, and all the artists I’ve yet to meet!

Tell us about your show.

Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind (30 Plays in 60 Minutes) is a neo-futurist play originating in Chicago that has never been performed the same way twice. Since 1988, the Neo-Futurists have developed a multitude of short plays that change weekly—each relating to the current state of the world, politics, or even the actors’ personal lives. The script is a selection of 90 plays performed and written during the company’s first 25 years, hand-picked by Greg Allen, the creator of the genre. From these 90 plays, I selected 30—ranging from comedy, drama, improv, and confessions to political commentary—to be performed by my cast of eleven USC students, ages 18–23. For the past nine months, we’ve been working, rehearsing, and perfecting our show, building on the success of our sold-out Los Angeles run. The ever-changing nature of this play and its elements of audience interaction capture the essence of live theatre and leave our audiences with smiles on their faces, sore abs, and—hopefully—fresh reflections on their reality.

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

I wholeheartedly recommend seeing Swamplesque—the energy, talent, and spectacle of the show are truly next level.

I’m also a huge fan of Xhloe and Natasha—their performances in every production are utterly captivating and not to be missed.

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‘Snow White Rose Red Bear Brown’ (Venue 30, until AUG 17th)

Posted in *EdFestivals 2025 by

“Here is a show to which parents and carers can take a medley of ages.”

Editorial Rating: 5 Stars (Outstanding)

Andy Lawrence is Fringe Treasure. His Theatre of Widdershins has been delivering exquisite quality theatre for the young and the young at heart since 1993. Audiences are guaranteed something special, something magical, something memorable. ‘Snow White Rose Red Bear Brown’ is a full-hour feature-length production that packs the 60 minutes with what must now be a trademark’s worth of family entertainment that hits all the high notes in all the right places.

We enter to find the ever-affable Andy on stage surrounded by some of his best and most understatedly elaborate props to date. There’s colour and craft in every item, a cornucopia of art and artistry is on display. It’s as if Merlin is running a pop-up roadside emporium. What makes Theatre of Widdershins such a delight for us aulder, increasingly less whimsical types, is how the puppetry seamlessly scaffolds the storytelling rather than vice versa. For all the gorgeous kit and kaboodle, it’s the story that’s the star; everything else is amplification and accentuation.

Here is a show to which parents and carers can take a medley of ages. We took our 3, 7, and 10 year aulds. The littlest liked best (and is still talking about) the “snipping the beard” bit. The 7 year auld’s favourite part was “when they first introduced the kids who turned into 8 years.” Daughter 1.0 wrote in her notebook (the one with Lilo and / or Stitch on the cover): “I really enjoyed ‘Snow White, Rose red and Bear Brown! I thought it was very touching, yet funny. I loved all the hilarious characters and interesting personalities. I thought that the detailed setup was very coulor-full and attracting for little ones. He was very interactive getting the audience to perform different sound affects and noises.”

Theatre of Widdershins is genre-defining quality. Every other act looking to reach this audience needs to see this show and see how they measure up. Get your best forest school coats on and go see this!

*THIS REVIEW IS FOR THE 26 JULY BEDFRINGE PERFORMANCE.

 

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EdFringe Talk: House Party

Posted in *EdFestivals 2025, *Written Interviews by

“This is my Fringe debut with my own production company and my first big girl show!”

WHO: Chakira Alin

WHAT: “One young woman from East London is on a mission to bring back house parties. She just needs the house. Skip is an aspiring actor just trying to stay afloat. It’s her versus her peers with generational wealth. Armed with the perfect playlist, Skip takes us on a dance party through her changing hometown and the forces she contends with daily. A one-woman show exploring the housing crisis, gentrification, and the state of Britain today, House Party is all about how the future looks bleak right now, and how one great party can change the world.”

WHERE: Attic at Pleasance Courtyard (Venue 33) 

WHEN: 15:20 (60 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

I went up for the first time ever as a student in 2022 with the Cambridge Footlights and was involved in two shows that year, writing and performing in one, and having written another, so it was a real baptism of fire doing double duty. I was running between venues like a headless chicken going to check in on the play I had written in the morning then going to perform in the other show in the evening. It’s no surprise that I burnt myself out and I took 2023 off. I went back in 2024 for a week to see shows as research, knowing I wanted to take up my own show this year. This is my Fringe debut with my own production company and my first big girl show!

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

I’ve grown massively in the last year, around the same time period from when I first started developing the piece, which I don’t think is a coincidence. Writing this show has been incredibly cathartic. The thing about writing a show that’s autobiographical is you have to be self-aware. So I’ve done a lot of soul-searching. I’ve let go of a lot of resentment I didn’t even know I had and have embraced the party. I’ve learnt not to compare myself to anyone else, especially if we’re not starting from the same place. My self-esteem has skyrocketed. I believe in myself, my sauce and my work. Oh and I’m learning to do the splits. That’s pretty big.

Tell us about your show.

‘No one has house parties anymore.’

One young woman from East London is on a mission to change this. She just needs the house.

Skip is an aspiring actor just trying to stay afloat. It’s her versus her peers with generational wealth. Armed with the perfect playlist, Skip takes us on a dance party through her changing hometown and the forces she contends with on a daily basis. Home Counties transplants. The mullet and moustache army. Those weird skinny expensive dogs.

A one woman show exploring the housing crisis, gentrification, and the state of Britain today, House Party is all about how the future looks really bleak right now, and how one great party can change the world.

The show was inspired by my own experiences of homelessness, the rental market and witnessing the gentrification of my hometown firsthand. It uses the humble house party as a lens through which to dissect housing inequality in Britain.

I am producing through my company Quite The Cowboy, a bold new production company creating work that is comedic, irreverent and offbeat with a biting political core. Rae Morris is directing.

Shortlisted for the Charlie Hartill Award 2025, House Party has been developed with the support of Seven Dials Playhouse, Side eYe Productions, Hackney Empire and Soho Theatre. Extracts of the show have been performed at venues such as the Southbank Centre, Royal Court Theatre, Omnibus Theatre and EartH Hackney, all to rapturous reception. We performed Work In Progress versions of the show at Pleasance London and Theatre Peckham.

We have two more London previews at Seven Dials Playhouse on the 18th and 19th of July. The plan is to have a longer London run as well as a UK tour post-Fringe and adapt the piece for TV!

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

I’m super excited to see Just The Two Of Us by Soft Play, Eggs Aren’t That Easy To Make by Maria Telnikoff/Big Sofa Theatre, Eat The Rich (but maybe not me mates x) by Jade Franks and Funny Though by Clare Noy.

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EdFringe Talk: Tides (An Autism Story)

Posted in *EdFestivals 2025, *Written Interviews by

“Make sure that the team you assemble are not only some of the most talented people on planet Earth, but are as passionate about the project as you are.”

WHO: Joe Dennis

WHAT: “Dylan Ward is autistic. He has his own way of thinking and his own way of doing things, but no one seems to understand him. How do you navigate a world which operates on a completely different wavelength to the one that you’re on? Following its critically acclaimed run at Camden Fringe last year, and based on real experiences of growing up autistic, Tides (An Autism Story) combines Monty Pythonesque humour with a touch of real-world drama to offer an insight into the wonderful, yet challenging world of autism… From one particularly silly individual.”

WHERE: Lime Studio at Greenside @ George Street (Venue 236) 

WHEN: 16:10 (55 min)

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Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

Yes it is! However, it’s not the first time we’ve performed at a big Fringe festival. Last year we performed as part of Greater Manchester Fringe and in Camden Fringe, both of which were hugely acclaimed runs. This year we performed a SOLD OUT show at Wimbledons ‘FromtheFringe’ season and we’re hot off the heels of a great run at Newcastle Fringe as well.

Having done so well at all of these other Fringe festivals, it was high time we had a crack at Edinburgh. It’s such a beautiful city, vibrant in art and culture, and I can’t wait for people to see what we have in store!

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

Number 1). Be organised! Make sure you plan everything well in advanced. Number 2). Make sure that the team you assemble are not only some of the most talented people on planet Earth, but are as passionate about the project as you are. And Number 3). Probably the most important lesson of all: Enjoy every minute of it!

I’ve certainly absorbed the latter above all else.

Tell us about your show.

My show is a semi-autobiographical one-person show that tells the story of Dylan Ward’s attempts to fit in whilst living on the autism spectrum. It was written and performed by me, based on real experiences I’ve had, and how being autistic impacted my life. It is frequently funny, often sad, and has an important message… We’re all just human, so let’s be kind to one another. The show was directed by my good friend Will Sutherland whom I met at Drama School, with additional lighting and sound design by the talented Will Woodward.

The show actually premiered for Autism Acceptance Week at Londons Hope Theatre whereby we raised £100 for Autism Awareness. It then toured to Guildford, Manchester and Camden Fringe last year, and this year has performed at London, Wimbledon and Newcastle. This year’s Edinburgh Fringe will be the shows Edinburgh debut!

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

I think he’s on before me, but audiences absolutely have to see Matty Edgars ‘Daniel Moore’s Definitive Guide to Failure-Free Living’. Matty’s one of the most talented actors I know and the show is incredibly funny and thought provoking. After this, audiences should see ‘Mr Jones’ a heart wrenching tale based around the 1966 Aberfan disaster and how this affected the lives of the villagers. Written by and starring Liam Holmes alongside Mabli Gwynne and directed by Michael Neri, this is an incredibly powerful play that shook me to my core.

Also wanna give a some shout outs to CFACOLAB’s ‘That Show About The Hot Dog’ Jens Goosens ‘Sense: The Musical’, Jen DiGiacomo’s ‘Woman in the Arena’, Ruben Sparks’ ‘Chameleon’ and finally Holly Gow’s ‘How Can(t) I Help?’ So all in all, an amazing line-up this year!

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EdFringe Talk: A Stan Is Born!

Posted in *EdFestivals 2025, *Written Interviews by

“There’s still many things I criticize about Fringe, how inaccessible and expensive it is, how oversaturated the market is, how elitist it is once you get there (the private members’ clubs take me OUT) but there is a magic to it.”

WHO: Alexis Sakellaris

WHAT: “Born in New York City as a closeted kid, Alexis is forced to follow his family to… rural Germany. Ugh. Diva down. Discovering women online is his only salvation: Céline, Whitney, Mariah, Beyoncé… you name ’em, he got ’em. They are his MOTHERS and he is OBSESSED. With 10 original songs, sung and played live on keyboard, Alexis shares the queer joy he discovered in stanning, while also confronting the hardships (somehow being obsessed with women makes you… gay?! Wow…) Does this queer Bo Burnham have what it takes to be… a lil gay diva?!”

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

WHEN: 15:00 (60 min)

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Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

This is my second time at Edinburgh Fringe! My first time was last year, and I did NOT know what I was doing. I’m European-American, fringe festivals are not part of any of my cultures, not even as a punter. I’m also super impatient, so the second I had my first solo show together I said, why not! What resulted was the most chaotic, exciting, confusing, heartbreaking, thrilling, unhealthy month of my life. I lost tons of money, made some incredible friends, I even became anemic! (they don’t sell kale at the fringe food trucks…) It really felt like theatre camp for adults, just the highest highs and the lowest lows.

Because of that, I didn’t really feel like my show got the chance it deserved. I told myself I’d only go back if the circumstances were right: a better team, a better financial deal, better accommodation, a better plan in general. Thankfully the stars aligned, and all these things fell into place! I’m also way more experienced now: I’ve toured the show internationally, become better as a writer and heavily rewrote it, I even got nominated for the Best New Show Award at Brighton Fringe! This whole past year has been preparing me to hopefully have a better experience. There’s still many things I criticize about Fringe, how inaccessible and expensive it is, how oversaturated the market is, how elitist it is once you get there (the private members’ clubs take me OUT) but there is a magic to it. An up-and-comers, bootstraps, grifters-type energy unlike any other. That’s the thing about Fringe, nobody really prepares you for it. You just kind of have to do it, make loads of mistakes, come back and try again. Someone would make a killing off of publishing the Fringe handbook!

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

The biggest thing I’ve learned is that anyone can be a writer. Not everyone SHOULD be a writer, don’t get me wrong… but everyone has it within themselves to tell their own story.

For so many years, I’d been holding back creating my own work for fear of not being perfect. I’m musical theatre trained, so you’re basically drilled to reproduce things based on a certain ideal: sing this exact note, hit this exact pose, act like this exact actor before you. It doesn’t leave a lot of room for creativity (not to mention how conservative musical theatre can be…) It took me being accidentally discovered by a queer musical comedian to literally see what other options I had: Matt Rogers (from the hit podcast Las Culturistas, co-hosted with Bowen Yang) randomly heard me singing in the Soho Theatre office, where I work my day job, and offered me a supporting role on his show Have You Heard of Christmas? on the spot.

We performed at Soho Theatre for a week, and then went on a full US tour for a month. This was a crash course for me, up close and personal, in everything I was interested in, but didn’t yet know how to do: a queer comedian and songwriter, with a fantastic voice, who writes everything himself. I was in awe.

I came back from that tour and knew that that was what I wanted to do. I was scared, since I’m not formally trained as a writer. But then I realized: nobody can tell my story but me. Nobody knows how much better my original songs could be but me. Because no one else has any point of reference for my own story… but me. So I finally gave myself the freedom to just improvise. Do dumb, silly, weird little things. Try stuff out, discard almost everything and keep the nuggets. Cringe at something over and over again until I end up liking it. I think that’s what writers do: cringe at themselves. Doubt and second-guess themselves. Especially if you’re part of a marginalized group, in my case as a queer person. You’re always trying to prove yourself, wondering if you’re good enough, feeling like an outsider. But that actually makes you a better creative! Questioning yourself, but still putting stuff out there, it leads to better and more creative work.

That’s the biggest lesson I’ve learned, I need to persevere without ever being complacent. And just give myself the freedom to be dumb and silly!

Tell us about your show.

My show A STAN IS BORN! is a queer musical comedy about my obsession with pop divas and how they helped me survive when my family moved from New York City to rural Germany. I sing original songs, accompany myself on piano, and lead the audience through my ode to women and ultimately, to self-love. While much of my show is dedicated to Whitney, Céline, Mariah, Beyoncé (the list goes on and ON, honey!).

I also wrote it as a tribute to the women in my life who helped me through these tough years in a conservative, homophobic environment: my mother, my sister, my godmother, my female friends. I wanted to give that queer little kid inside me a voice, focusing on queer coming-of-age before sexuality comes into play, and the women who provide those safe queer spaces.

I’m also producing, and I have my lovely director Madison Cole alongside me. We randomly met at a scratch night in late 2023 in London and immediately hit it off, realizing we have loads of mutuals in the States, since Madi went to college there. Madi asked if I needed help with my show, and I brought them on as an assistant director. They just GOT the show, we have this rich, shared, queer Gen Z experience where we don’t have to explain things, we just understand each other. At the time, I was working with another director who sadly didn’t end up working out, so I was really grateful to have Madi there to take over.

In the last year, we’ve put the show up in so many venues: Soho Theatre, Riverside Studios, Camden People’s Theatre, Brighton Fringe, Brooklyn Comedy Collective in New York, hell, even the Zurich Comedy Festival in Switzerland! (they booked me a year in advance, if that isn’t the most Swiss thing ever…) We want to keep producing the show, I’d love to put it up in London again and I have my sights set on some US fringes: Philly Fringe, New York Fringe, Hollywood Fringe…

And my HUGE long-term goal for the show is to turn it into an animated series for kids! A kind of Fairly OddParents meets Powerpuff Girls meets Winx geared towards queer youth. I LOVED cartoons growing up and being represented in that format would’ve meant so much to me!

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

Here’s a list of my DEAR dear friends also doing shows:

Lioness at Greenside: my dear friend Kate has an excellent show for all the football girlies, and Madi is also directing this !! Perfect timing for the Women’s Euro.

Dear Annie, I Hate You at Pleasance: my insanely talented friend Sam is bringing her smash-hit autobiographical show back, it’s sensational and sensitive, dealing about a particularly difficult time in her life, definitely not for the faint of heart!

Cara and Kelly are Best Friends Forever For Life: my good friend Scarlett is acting in this show, I’m not sure what it’s about, but I can’t wait to see it! Scarlett is a brilliant actor and drag artist (we did a Drag and Cabaret Lab together at Soho Theatre), so I have full faith that it will be a blast.

Soft Play: Just the Two of Us! at Pleasance: my DEAR DEAR friends Maria and Vidya are bringing their hilarious, alt-comedy-clown-sketch-nostalgia-infused spectacle to Fringe. I was fortunate enough to see the preview and trust me, you do NOT wanna miss this. You’ll feel like you’re on drugs at Berghain and also in kindergarten. Trust me.
Yes, We’re Related at Underbelly: my lovely friend Flo wrote and is starring in a hilarious new comedy about family and grief, written in such a delicate and delightful tone, her voice is distinct yet accessible. Check her out!!

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EdFringe Talk: The Comedy Arcade

Posted in *EdFestivals 2025, *Written Interviews by

“My fringe runs are the hardest I’ve ever worked but somehow still feel like a holiday.”

WHO: Vix Leyton

WHAT: “The Comedy Arcade: competitive anecdotes game. Vix Leyton holds a bingo ball of surprise subjects and invites four different comics every night to spar with never-before-told stories, from the hilarious to the scandalous, to win points awarded by host and audience. ‘Lives up to its billing likening it to a fabulous dinner party. Punters feel they are among spontaneously funny friends rather than hearing well-rehearsed professional anecdotes. We know these stories – and this particular alchemy will not be repeated again’ **** (Steve Bennett, Chortle.co.uk).”

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

WHEN: 22:15 (60 min)

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Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

This is my fifth and likely my final year as a performer, I think I’ve finally been completely priced out – I’m preparing for a six grand loss and when I’m saving to buy a house and burning all my work leave, it is just too hard to justify, which is hard as I love it. And also I’ll probably be back here next year like a wizened old detective completing one last case before retirement… But I’m planning to try to enjoy this one as fully as possible rather than seeing it as a next step – I’ve got some days off every week, and I’m not oversubscribing on spots all over town; my priority is seeing the shows. Fringe is like nothing else I’ve known; it’s the closest I think I’ll ever get to an American TV summer camp and getting to focus on comedy full time and see so many show is a dream come true – my fringe runs are the hardest I’ve ever worked but somehow still feel like a holiday; probably because I work a 9 – 5 normally. Edinburgh is a beautiful, magical city and scuttling about under the watch of a castle on a hill really makes the commute a bit special. And there is such an interesting, intense energy – once you’ve done a few Fringes, you know the fairytale can come true and it can be for someone unexpected. Our shows give us all a lottery ticket.

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

If you build it they will come. Or they might not. But if you’ve built a show you love performing, it matters a lot less how many audience there are in to see it. The beauty of a panel show is you are not alone out there staring down single figure audiences, and it’s joyful and cathartic to be around other comics making light of the dark bits and showing the people in the room what’s behind the curtain. Play the hand you’re dealt.

I also realised this year that stand up comedy isn’t for me anymore. I have had some of the best experiences of my life since starting but the cost and unreliability of travel (particularly since moving up North) have taken a lot of the joy out of it – gigs that are technically an hour away, I’m having to leave at 5 for, and sometimes I’m getting back after midnight for 10 minutes on stage and expenses. and I find it very lonely – I’m so much happier doing my panel show. It feels like personal growth to not keep doing something that’s not making me happy just because I’ve been doing it for so long.

Tell us about your show.

The show is a competitive storytelling game. I started it as a podcast at my kitchen table in lockdown, bringing together a selection of comedians to tell stories on subjects you don’t hear them talk on very often. I am a massive comedy fan, first and foremost and getting to see what happens when I put some of my favourites together in conversation is a privilege. The best shows don’t only include good stories from the comics, they are where everyone chips in and works with each other and you feel like you’re in the pub with the funniest people you know. I am so lucky that I get brilliant comics who come back and do it year after year – Mark Watson, Sikisa, Thom Tuck, Jenny Ryan from The Chase, Rufus Hound, Sally Hodgkiss; when you have them locked into the schedule it gives you space to bring in brilliant new comics I’ve seen on the circuit so the audience can meet their new favourites in the company of their existing favourites. And the magic of Edinburgh means you also get some amazing wildcards – one year I had Jess Phillips MP join a panel with Bec Hill, Jenny Ryan, Ada Campe and Leslie Ewing-Burgesse – the audience got a once in a lifetime conversation on that day.

I tend to tour it around outside of Fringe – I had an absolutely smashing show at Lancaster comedy festival, and Leicester comedy festival I will do as long as they’ll let me.

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

There are shows I make sure I see every year and one of them is Leslie Ewing – Burgesse; she’s cool and surreal but her hours have real warmth to them, she gathers you close and takes you with her down paths of hilarious whimsy. This year’s show is Behemoth and I can’t wait to see it.

Jenny Ryan is doing a show called Bjorn Yesterday positing the theory that Abba don’t exist – applying that amazing intellect to comedy, with musical interludes, can only be a good thing.

Alternative Comedy Memorial Society – is a compendium of amazing alternative comedy. It is one of the best value shows in town, running at 3 hours, but you can tap out at any point and it is a late night staple where you really could see anyone on the stage doing anything. It’s my favourite hangout and I married the gig in a beautiful sold out ceremony after a long engagement last year, but that’s another story.

Marc Burrows Britpop Hour is fabulous. I saw a work in progress version a few months ago and I can’t wait to see how it’s come along. If you were around in that era, there will be something for you in the show – it’s facts, anecdotes, theories and a huge amount of heart; considering how broad the topic is, I think it’s one of Marc’s most personal shows, and you come away knowing him better, and feeling a little bit more positive about the world in general. Can’t ask for more than that really.

Rob Kemp is finally bringing BeatlesJuice to the Fringe – I am a massive fan of Rob’s work in general, The Elvis Dead is spectacular as a piece of work, and I saw his show Agenda three times, it was hilarious and important and it made me cry. BeatlesJuice reimagines the film Beetlejuice through the songs of the The Beatles – and I imagine I’ve already lost you as you are already booking tickets.

It’s a Scaramouche Jones year. Thom Tuck does this beautiful show about a 100 year old clown telling you his life story every decade having started in 2005. Thom is an Edinburgh Institution himself, and this is a show you will want to see now – and in 2035.

Caitie Wilkins is back at Fringe this year with solo work after some time devoted to writing and being a drunk woman solving crime. She is a fantastic comedian and it is a gorgeous premise.

She’s not going to be short of PR as she is such a deserved phenomenon , but I also have to say Julia Masli – her Hahahahah show was one of the most amazing pieces of work I have ever seen. I came out a different person. The skill and charisma it takes to do what she does, it’s a real masterclass.

I’ve forgotten loads! But hopefully this is a good starting point. The joy of fringe is discovery – take a flyer and go for it.

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EdFringe Talk: Alison Jackson’s Faking Famous: You Can be a Celebrity Too

Posted in *EdFestivals 2025, *Written Interviews by

“What I love about EdFringe is that it’s gloriously chaotic. You can see a five-star clown opera at noon, then end up in a shipping container watching a woman scream into a courgette.”

WHO: Alison Jackson

WHAT: “BAFTA-winning provocateur Alison Jackson brings her wild celebrity lookalike competition and behind-the-scenes exposé Faking Famous to Edinburgh Fringe, with live castings, makeovers, scandalous backstage secrets. One minute Alison reveals back-stories from her infamous shoots, the next she invites people from the crowd and makes them into celebrities. Expect diva tantrums, paparazzi-style photoshoots, BRAT-fuelled chaos. Take selfies with the stars! From Taylor Swift, Harry Styles, Royals, Charli XCX, Oasis Bros, Trump, Kim K… Think you look famous? Step into the spotlight.”

WHERE: Checkpoint at Assembly Checkpoint (Venue 322) 

WHEN: 19:40 (60 min)

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Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

Not my first Fringe rodeo – I made a ‘Celebrity Opera before’. What I love about EdFringe is that it’s gloriously chaotic. You can see a five-star clown opera at noon, then end up in a shipping container watching a woman scream into a courgette. It’s the Olympics of weirdness. As a punter, it’s thrilling. As a producer, it’s a logistical nightmare disguised in glitter. But we keep coming back for more, don’t we?

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

That reality is now optional. AI’s taken off, deepfakes are fooling people left, right and centre, and half of Instagram is basically CGI. So the big lesson? Trust no one especially if they say they’re Ed Sheeran at 2am on the Mile. That’s what Faking Famous is really about. The lines are blurred, and fame is faker than ever so let’s have a laugh at it while we still know what’s real.

Tell us about your show.

Faking Famous written, created and directed by me, Alison Jackson. Produced by my fabulous team and supported by the lovely folks at Assembly. It’s part theatre, part fever dream, with lookalikes so convincing they’ve actually been mobbed by tourists. This is its official Fringe debut, and then who knows tours, galleries, a TV series. The cast is a mix of performance artists and celebrity doppelgängers. It’s like casting from Hello! Magazine with a hangover.

Come take a selfie with Donald Trump, Harry Styles, The Royals, Gallaghers, Taylor Swift, Kim K and many more. I am looking for all lookalikes for this lookalike competition – so if you look famous, please come along.

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

Right, show love, get love. So here’s who you need to see:

@ThanyiaMoore – razor-sharp stand-up, hilarious and devastating in equal measure.

@trygvecomedy’s The Ice Hole – it’s mime, it’s madness, it’s brilliant.

@sfshakespeare – Sh!t-Faced Shakespeare, which does exactly what it says on the tin.

@nadiashammas_’ Eggshells – gorgeous, tender, moving… the opposite of my show, really.

And remember: support your fellow creatives, unless they’ve stolen your flyer slot. In which case, support them from a safe emotional distance.

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EdFringe Talk: Gimme a Sign!

Posted in *EdFestivals 2025, *Written Interviews by

“The people of Edinburgh are the best and I’m not just saying that so you’re all nice to me this year!”

WHO: Bailey Swilley

WHAT: “Welcome to comedian Bailey Swilley’s ghost tour, complete with tales of haunted tampons, magical spells and life lessons on family expectations, grief and growing up. Gimme a Sign! is a storytelling comedy, based on a family tragedy and the strange but funny antics that ensued after. Join Bailey as she reflects on the stages of grief and her endless search for signs from the universe!”

WHERE: Pleasance Online (Venue 117) 

WHEN: 15:05 (60 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

This is my second (consecutive) year at the Fringe and third time in Edinburgh.

Last year, I had no idea what to expect and ended up loving (almost) everything about it—the intensity, the buzzy energy and all the people you meet who quickly become friends.

What makes a great festival is the access to see almost anything you’re in the mood for—from a play that’ll make you bawl your eyes out to the best standup in the world to the truly bizarre.

And believe it or not, I really enjoy the flyering experience—it’s given me an opportunity to get to know festival goers, non-festival goers, and other performers as well. Also, the people of Edinburgh are the best and I’m not just saying that so you’re all nice to me this year!

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

I now know the importance of investing and believing in my work. I also learned that you never know who will relate to your show. GIMME A SIGN! is a bit whimsical and somewhat feminine and yet, I found that it resonated across genders and ages.

I once had group of bros who looked like they were ready to party, beers in hand at 10:30am, come in to see the show. I thought, “They’re going to hate me.” They turned out to be my favourite audience of the fest. They stayed after to chat about their own experiences with their families, their own grieving processes and their experiences with the supernatural.

As it turns out, everyone dies. Who knew?

Tell us about your show.

GIMME A SIGN! is a show I wrote and have been producing and performing for a year now.

It’s a love letter to my family—I grew up in a mixed race household and always felt like I had these challenging expectations hanging over my head and those expectations continued to follow me through adulthood and even after the loss of my one of my parents. The show is about the ghosts of the once-living AND all of the metaphorical ghosts that follow us throughout our lives. It’s also funny!

I premiered G.A.S. (wow, I wish I had rethought the title when it comes to acronyms!) in New York, followed quickly by Scotland (2024 EdFringe). In 2025, I showed GIMME A SIGN! in Philadelphia and will be performing in London (at the Drayton Arms) for two previews on July 26 and 27. After EdFringe, my ghosts and I would love to tour across the U.S. and the globe. Sky’s the limit, honey! (There are actually zero limits for ghosts)

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

Must-see shows from my New York pals: Andrea Coleman’s 3 White Guys Named John, Gillian Gurganus’ All That Jazz, Tim Limbrick’s Baggage, Ned Arnold’s Seducing Your Professor and Syd King’s Saint Sydney. If you’re looking for more comedy about grief, check out Chicago comedian Brendan Tran in Hole in the Wall L’Hopital.

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