Author Archives: Dan Lentell

EdFringe Talk: Lt Love Dr’s Boot Camp for Lonely People Like You

Posted in *EdFestivals 2026, *Written Interviews by

“I’ve begun to really find my pleasure on stage, and am getting more comfortable trusting my impulses.”

WHO: Chloe Matonis

WHAT: “Meet Lt Love Dr Hotty McTotty – a futuristic soldier who has travelled back in time from 2075. Her mission: to revive human connection. Through a series of drills including: small talk, eye contact and speed dating, audiences will rally together to combat our increasingly isolated reality. This hilarious, heartfelt and surprisingly impactful show will inspire you to make friends, disconnect from the digital world and rediscover what it means to be human. ‘The beating heart of Fringe comedy’ **** (BroadwayBaby.com).”

WHERE: The Saloon Bar at Just The Tonic at Westside Rodeo (Venue 25) 

WHEN: 18:40 (50 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

This will be my third time performing at EdFringe! The first year I attended, 2024, was as a cast member on Broken Planet Show. I played Lt. Love Dr. Hotty McTotty and had a ~5 minute act. The following year, I returned with Broken Planet Show, but also with a 10-day run of Lt. Love Dr. Hotty McTotty’s 50-minute solo show! This year, 2026, I am doing a full-month run of my Lt. Love Dr. solo show. Coming as part of another person’s show was a great way to get exposed to Ed Fringe and build up the confidence to come back with my own solo show. Every year you come, you learn something new.

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

I spent 3 months studying at Ecole Philippe Gaulier in France, where I learned many valuable performance lessons. I’ve begun to really find my pleasure on stage, and am getting more comfortable trusting my impulses. My show is starting to shift from being a piece of theatre to becoming an interactive experience where people can meet each other. One lesson that I keep re-learning is that marketing your show and selling tickets is continuously challenging!

Tell us about your show.

My show is a labor of love (literally!). It is written by, produced by, and performed by me. It began as a performance art piece I did on the sidewalk when I was incredibly lonely living in Chicago. I started posing as Lt Love Dr Hotty McTotty in a genuine attempt to meet people! I thought if I stood outside of grocery stores and bars, inviting people to “join the grassroots movement to save human connection”, I might actually make some friends (I did). Then I became part of Broken Planet Show, and developed the character, Lt Love Dr Hotty McTotty, into a cabaret act. A year later, I decided that Lt Love Dr deserved her own full-length show. It premiered in Chicago 2025, and has since run in NYC, Atlanta, Boston, and Las Vegas!

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

I’ve already brought it up a few times, but BROKEN PLANET SHOW!!! created by former Blue Man, Callum Grant, this show is all about healing planetary divide through a celebration of silliness. If you like family-friendly, multi-disciplinary, outrageous FUN, then you’ll love this show. You’ll laugh your socks off and leave feeling hopeful.

Lizzy Sunshine by Liz Coin – Liz is an expert performer who beautifully blends comedy and tragedy into this heart-felt solo show.

The Most Toast by Ollie Horn Comedy – this is an outrageous experience showcasing expert crowd work and one hilarious premise. Everyone in the room must answer, who among them has eaten the most toast?”. It usually runs for 1 or 2 days only, so get tickets quick!

Classic Penguins by Garry Starr – one man bares all to summarize dozens of Penguin Classics in 1 hour. I can’t say much more.. come with an open mind!

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EdFringe Talk: When We Were Young

Posted in *EdFestivals 2026, *Written Interviews by

“As a punter, it’s dangerous for the bank balance! You head out to see one show and somehow end up seeing five.”

WHO: Liam Lambie

WHAT: “The public and critically acclaimed, multi award-winning When We Were Young is back for 2026. This five-star show goes beyond the tabloid stereotype of ‘neds’ to tell a powerful and hilarious story about the realities of gang culture and young team mentality in Glasgow during the 90s. Follow the lives of one of the many young teams who polluted the streets of the city during a time when it was known as the murder capital of Europe.”

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

WHEN: Varies (50 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

No – we made our Fringe debut last year, and what an introduction it was! We were lucky enough to have a completely sold-out run, pick up multiple awards and meet so many brilliant people along the way. It was everything everyone had told us it would be… and then some.

As a producer, the Fringe is equal parts exciting and terrifying. One minute you’re flyering in the rain wondering if anyone is going to turn up, the next you’re chatting to someone who’s travelled halfway across the world to see your show. There’s nowhere else quite like it.

As a punter, it’s dangerous for the bank balance! You head out to see one show and somehow end up seeing five. The best thing about the Fringe is that every corner has something happening. You can walk into a show knowing absolutely nothing about it and come out having discovered your new favourite performer. That unpredictability is what makes it so special, and why people keep coming back year after year.

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

The biggest lesson for me has been to trust your instincts. It’s easy to second-guess yourself, especially when you’re creating your own work, but I’ve realised that if you believe in the story you’re telling, that’s what matters most. Last year really reinforced that. We took When We Were Young to the Fringe, backed ourselves, and the response completely blew us away.

I’ve also learned that you don’t have to do everything on your own. Surrounding yourself with people you trust, listening to your cast and creative team, and being open to new ideas always makes the end result stronger. I’m still learning every day, but I’d like to think I’ve become a bit better at trusting the process

Tell us about your show.

When We Were Young was written by me, Liam Lambie, and is produced by Geez a Break Productions. I originally wrote the play to tell an honest Scottish story that went beyond the headlines, exploring friendship, family, gang culture and the choices that can shape young lives.

The show premiered in 2022 and has since toured theatres across Scotland, picking up multiple awards, five-star reviews and building an incredible following along the way. Last year we made our Edinburgh Fringe debut with a sold-out run, and we’re delighted to be returning this year.

After the Fringe, we’ll be heading straight back out on tour, with performances across Scotland, including The Pavilion Theatre, East Kilbride Arts Centre, Lanternhouse in Cumbernauld and a number of other venues. It’s brilliant to see the show continuing to reach new audiences while welcoming back those who’ve supported it from the very beginning.

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

One of my favourite things about the Fringe is discovering shows you’d never planned to see. You go in with no expectations and sometimes come out wondering why they’re not playing to thousands every night. So my advice would be to leave a few gaps in your schedule and take a chance on something you’ve never heard of.
The Fringe is at its best when everyone supports each other, so if someone hands you a flyer with a smile, maybe give them an hour of your time. You never know, you might just find your favourite show of the festival.

Go see AuldLang Sings. We have a few friends in that 🙂

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EdFringe Talk: The Stevenson Experience: O Brother, Where Art Thou! (On stage, beside me)

Posted in *EdFestivals 2026, *Written Interviews by

“The lesson is to step out of the rat race a little and really work on the craft off-stage, which makes the show on-stage that much better.”

WHO: Benjamin Stevenson

WHAT: “Two-time Perth Fringe World Best Comedy Show nominees, Thurber Prize semi-finalist, over two million copies sold – Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone book series. Identical twins. Musical comedy. Sibling rivalry. The Stevenson Experience deliver a brand-new show of hilarious songs, razor-sharp banter and good natured (extremely personal) rivalry. Since their last visit Benjamin wrote multiple bestselling novels which are being adapted by Amazon for television. James also did cool stuff, but whatever, he doesn’t like to brag. ‘An absolute highlight of Fringe’ ****½ (Advertiser, Adelaide).”

WHERE: Underground at Assembly George Square Studios (Venue 17) 

WHEN: 19:30 (60 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

It’s our 4th Fringe, but in a way it feels like our first, as we are returning off a five year hiatus. Some pesky flu kept us down in Australia for a couple of years, and then it took another few years for the timing to be right. We’ve got all of the nerves of our very first fringe all over again! Though this time we know what to do (take the day off!) and what not to do (don’t eat hot chips every day!).

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

Taking your time with things! I think when you start out in comedy it’s very much a hamster wheel of new material – particularly the festival circuit, doing a new hour every year. We’ve now learned that we write a better show if we spend 1 year working on it, and 1 year touring it. So the lesson is to step out of the rat race a little and really work on the craft off-stage, which makes the show on-stage that much better.

Tell us about your show.

Our show is us, identical twin brothers, telling jokes and singing songs about our lives and our relationship as brothers. Yes, we are real twins. More accurately though, we’ve been away from the Fringe for 5 years, and in that time we’ve done 3 national tours of Australia. This show is the absolute best pieces of those tours combined into one as it is all brand new material for Edinburgh, so it’s lightning fast and packed with gags, and something we are really excited to share. This will probably be the end of the show’s run before we turn to our next local tour back home.

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

Sammy J’s Hero Complex is simply one of the best comedy shows I’ve seen. He debuted it a decade ago and this is his first time back to the Fringe in 12 years (says the website, I’m not stalking him…)

Otherwise: SEE THE AUSTRALIANS. We have such a great scene with so many fresh ideas and talents. Ray O’Leary (Kiwi, but we can adopt him) and Frankie McNair both have great shows.

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EdFringe Talk: Max Davidson: Strangers

Posted in *EdFestivals 2026, *Written Interviews by

“Your outcome is directly correlated to how much work you put in. Last year, I didn’t prepare well enough, and I struggled a ton.”

WHO: Max Davidson

WHAT: “An interactive mentalism show where the audience plays a central role, and no secret – or phone passcode – is safe. The sold-out sensation comes to Edinburgh on the heels of multiple U.S. tours and NYC runs. Part mind-reading, part storytelling, the show is ultimately a joyful celebration of the beauty we find in strangers when we slow down enough to see them. A Time Out NYC Top Magic Show. As seen at The Magic Castle, Caesars’ Palace and in the NYT.”

WHERE: Just The Tonic at The Subway at Just The Tonic at Subway (Venue 27) 

WHEN: 17:50 (60 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

This is my second Edinburgh Fringe, and I’m excited to have my sea legs under me. Last year, I went effectively as a trial, and this year, I feel like I know a bit more about what I’m doing. I’m constantly reflecting on why I’m doing it. After all, it’s such a hard endeavor. But I’m slowly realizing—that’s the point. The challenge is the fun part. That, and the fact that it’s a massive festival with all your friends for a month. And in addition, you get to perform every day. What more could you ask for??

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

Your outcome is directly correlated to how much work you put in. Last year, I didn’t prepare well enough, and I struggled a ton. This year, I’ve prepared well and assembled a phenomenal team around me, and I know that fringe is so much more likely to go well (As in, sell more tickets, have a better show, etc).

I’ve also always been a big proponent, as a magician, of getting in your reps in any way possible. I’ve done my show Strangers a ton of times over the last 12 months throughout the U.S., so I’m confident, going into Edinburgh, that I’ll have a good product because I’ve gotten to test it in the States so many times.

Tell us about your show.

My show, Strangers, is a mentalism and mind-reading show that I’ve written over the last three years. It started as my simple corporate show that I’d perform at private bookings around the U.S. It slowly morphed into a tighter product specifically for public shows, with more of a through line and consistent setlist.

At much as it is a mind-reading/magic show, it is also about the audience. The show changes every night based on the audience’s choices—so even though the structure is the same, the content totally depends on who’s in the room. For example, each night I guess people’s passwords, the cities they’ve traveled to, and specific objects in their homes, among other things. I look forward to learning about people’s choices every night!

After Edinburgh, the goal is to film the show and put it on YouTube.

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

There’s so many great shows! If you’re looking for more magic, I highly recommend my friends Colin Cloud (Hoax at Pleasance Grand) and The Duo: A Three Person Magic Show (The Space). If you’re looking for storytelling, I’d send you to Olivia Raine Atwood’s Oops (a truly phenomenal one-woman show that’s as heartfelt and poignant as it is funny at Gilded Balloon) and Lizzy Sunshine. Finally, in musical comedy, check out Couplet’s Folk Marry Kill!

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Bedfringe 2026 Interview: Stevie Vegas: Circus Skills Workshop 2026

Posted in *Written Interviews, Bedfringe 2026 by

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“I love that it is all contained in the one venue, and just wish the car park was slightly bigger :-)”

WHO: Stevie Vegas

WHAT: “Stevie Vegas is a fool-time Entertainer (Juggling / Comedy / Magic) based in nearby Rushden and very much available for your next Party/Event!

He will be providing a Drop-in Circus Skills Workshop in THE GARDEN which everyone (Adults & Children) are welcome to attend.

Why not come along and learn a new skill such as Juggling, Diabolo, Devilstick, Platespinning, Pedal-Racing, Toothbrush Twirling, Stilt-Walking, Poi Spinning and much more?

Stevie is a regular on the UK Pun Circuit (Pun Championships / Pun-off / Punnit) so you are never too far away from the next prop-based gags while he amazes with awesome Juggling skills too!”

WHERE: Quarry Theatre

WHEN: 26 July 2023 @ 12:30 (60mins)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Bedfringe?

I love BedFringe. I began by going along to tons of shows for many years, and was approached by James at an after-party where he presented me with a framed portrait of that year’s brochure to say thanks for all my patronage! I took the chance to tell him about my Circus Workshops and have been hired every year since 🙂

I love that it is all contained in the one venue, and just wish the car park was slightly bigger 🙂

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

Taking part in lots of Comedy Shows (Comedy Karaoke, UK Pun Off, UK Pun Championships), releasing 3 books (2 x Jokebooks and one Board Game Strategy) all available on Amazon (search for Stevie Vegas as Author). Performing my usual Circus Workshops in another 200+ venues. Best stop and have a cup of tea as all this sounds quite tiring 🙂

Tell us about your show.

A giant Circus Skills Workshop held in the garden. Many people return year after year to enjoy the new puns and magic along with learning or improving their skills and people of all ages/abilities (you just need some enthusiasm and perseverance) are warmly welcomed to this Pay what you Want event (bucket to donate at the end if you don’t wish to purchase a ticket in advance).

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

Pauline Eyre – Anyone for Tennis is awesome. Her show tells a great story of her time being a Line Judge at Wimbledon.

Tricky Teddy is the show that is on after me, and that’s why my show was put in the timeslot it has, as it would definitely flow on nicely (NOTE: I don’t see them listed for 2026, although James told me this is why he had given me this timeslot, so it would be worth checking before printing this recommendation!)

Monstering the Rocketman was one of my fave shows at EdFringe 2025. Henry Naylor’s one-man shows are always captivating and a great social commentary. This one’s about Elton John v News of the World and how badly they treated him.

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Bedfringe 2026 Interview: Musical Chairs

Posted in *Written Interviews, Bedfringe 2026 by

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“BedFringe is a lovely boutique festival, with some excellent spaces and a discerning audience.”

WHO: Ashley Frieze

WHAT: “Musical Chairs was set up in 2023 when Friz Frizzle, Edi Johnston and Ashley Frieze were chatting on Facebook about the unwritten rule that musical comedians are never allowed to be on the same bill.

If only that rule could be broken…

A few hours of admin later, their “make a wish” was granted and they’ve been roaming comedy festivals in the UK every since.

It’s simply an hour of wonderful musical stand-up comedy, proving you can have multiple musical comedians on the bill… and nobody gets hurt.

Song ruiner Friz Frizzle is joined by the daft, exuberant Ashley Frieze, and the droll and sharp Edi Johnston.”

WHERE: Quarry Theatre

WHEN: 25 July 2026 @ 16:00 (60mins)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Bedfringe?

This is our first time coming to BedFringe. We’ve expanded our tour to cover the major UK Fringe and Comedy Festivals this year, excepting Edinburgh. We’ve played our solo shows at Fringe festivals before, but this trio show is a lot harder to coordinate, and so we’ve been selective about the places to put it on. BedFringe is a lovely boutique festival, with some excellent spaces and a discerning audience.

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

Last year I put on a show at the Edinburgh Fringe in which I didn’t appear – Ashley Frieze Is Not Coming. What I learned from that is that there’s a lot of admin and no real pleasure in putting on no show. This year is more admin, but a lot more fun going to the different Fringes and seeing a variety of lovely audiences. We’re lucky to have found people who like what we do.

Tell us about your show.

There’s an unwritten law in stand-up comedy – you should not have more than one musical act on the same bill. We’ve got three… and more than one instrument per person. It’s a chance for us to show that there’s a lot we do differently to each other as musical comics, while also a lot we have in common. We even have a little band for the last song.

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

Go and see Mitch Benn. Now.

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EdFringe Talk: Did You Charge Your Phone for the End of the World AND Oops! We Lost a Nuke

Posted in *EdFestivals 2026, *Written Interviews by

“The festival is a dream — drinking absurd theater from a fire hose.”

WHO: Fletcher Michael

WHAT: Did You Charge Your Phone for the End of the World “The year is 2034. A city-demolishing asteroid is heading for Brooklyn. The government refuses to alert the public of the impending catastrophe until a boutique advertising agency can come up with a positive rebrand for the calamitous asteroid.”

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

WHEN: 19:30 (60 min)

MORE: Click Here!

AND: Oops! We Lost a Nuke “…is a comedic play set in the 1950s, featuring four characters performed – sometimes simultaneously – by two actors. When an unassuming pacifist abuses his position within the US government in order to hide a nuclear warhead, it becomes clear that his affair with his secretary and his wife’s affair with her doctor are the least of their worries. As the government closes in, secrets come to light.”

WHERE: Just The Snifter Room at Just The Tonic at The Mash House (Venue 288) 

WHEN: 19:30 (60 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

This will actually be my second year attending Edinburgh Fringe Festival as a producer. Last year Infinite Monkey Theater Co. brought our sketch comedy show, Chimp Cocktail, for a three show run, and that taste of the Fringe left me wanting more. So for this year’s fringe, we’ll be bringing two shows (Did You Charge Your Phone for the End of the World? and Oops! We Lost a Nuke) which will run in tandem for the last two weeks of the festival. The festival is a dream — drinking absurd theater from a fire hose. Where else is space sanctioned for us weirdos to make and enjoy the strange and wonderful things we like to see on stage?

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

My biggest takeaway from the past year is that time moves quickly! You’d think that clocking this fact would make me slow down and be monastically chill about appreciating the present moment, but that doesn’t seem to be how I’m wired. Prepping for an international tour seems to require that I obsessively check and recheck all the little bureaucratic minutiae necessary for putting on a show in a foreign country. But the other lesson I’ve learned is that I am not alone in my pursuit! This extends not just to my amazing castmates, Lucy Boisvert and Collin Dennis, who are endlessly helpful to me, but also all the other folks you meet before, during, and after the Fringe. We’re all nuts for live theater, and we all know what it takes to be successful, so the community of the Fringe’s producing artists — whether here in New York City or across the pond in Scotland — becomes an essential support network.

Tell us about your show.

Did You Charge Your Phone for the End of the World? is a darkly absurd, satirical comedy set in the year 2034. A city-demolishing asteroid is heading for Brooklyn. The government refuses to alert the public of the impending catastrophe until a boutique advertising agency can come up with a positive rebrand — in the form of an upbeat jingle — for the calamitous space rock. It is written and directed by me (Fletcher Michael) and, because I’m a psychopath, I also perform in the show alongside the very talented Lucy Boisvert and Collin Dennis.

We’re also bringing our show Oops! We Lost a Nuke, which is a a comedic play set in the 1950s, featuring four characters performed – sometimes simultaneously – by two actors!

Infinite Monkey Theater Co. has produced nearly thirty shows since its founding in 2023, ranging from our hit Off-Broadway sketch comedy show, Chimp Cocktail, to several full-length comedic plays that have appeared in festivals around New York City. The company is formed from a grab-bag of improvisers, sketch comedians, and actors who I’ve met through various classes and projects, and I’ve collaborated with Lucy and Collin on nearly every IMTCo. production. Did You Charge Your Phone for the End of the World? made its world premiere at New York City Fringe in April 2026, and we’re hoping to ride the critical acclaim we received from that run on to critical acclaim in Scotland this August.

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

After you’ve seen the two shows we’ll be bringing to this year’s Fringe (Did You Charge Your Phone for the End of the World? and Oops! We Lost a Nuke), you MUST see SLUGS. I saw it last year and it changed how I think about live theater. In fact, it was a huge inspiration for the shows we’ll be bringing to this year’s festival. It’s wild, absurd, hilarious, moving, and unforgettable.

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EdFringe Talk: Cinderella and Frankenstein’s Monster Are Dead

Posted in *EdFestivals 2026, *Written Interviews by

“The Fringe feels like one giant bingo card that no one could ever finish because there’s simply too much to see—even if you’re watching four shows a day and sprinting between venues.”

WHO: Petunia Hu

WHAT: “A gothic fairytale for the culturally confused. A Chinese exchange student at an American high school sees herself in Frankenstein’s monster – stitched together and out of place. When the drama club stages Cinderella, she auditions to prove her worth, only to find herself longing for the Mandarin rhymes she once sang with pride. As foreign stories glitch into nightmares, she realises: both the princess and the monster are dead. She’s neither. Critically acclaimed at 2025 Brighton Fringe: ‘raw, eye-opening’ **** (TheatreInBrighton.co.uk), ‘refreshing and linguistically aware take on identity construction’ **** (SoundBehindCurtain.com).”

WHERE: Studio at theSpaceTriplex (Venue 38) 

WHEN: 13:05 (45 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

I came to the Fringe in 2024 with my two-hander “Tide” and completely fell in love with Edinburgh. What struck me most was the generosity between artists. People who were bringing their own shows came to see ours, then helped hand out our flyers afterwards. Within our cast and creative team, we were constantly swapping recommendations and sending each other off to see the best work we’d discovered. The Fringe feels like one giant bingo card that no one could ever finish because there’s simply too much to see—even if you’re watching four shows a day and sprinting between venues. For me, the real win is putting your work out there and discovering artists you might never have encountered otherwise.

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

As a playwright, I’ve learned that writing happens through revision, and that other people’s feedback isn’t a tax, but part of the process of making a play into what I want it to be. I’ve put some of my most vulnerable drafts out into the world and slowly learned that my play is not me, nor is it a measure of how good I am.

I’ve also learned how valuable artistic communities are. I love writers’ groups because watching and supporting other playwrights as they wrestle with feedback and discover their own voices is genuinely rejuvenating. I also keep a running list of theatres and companies that consistently produce the kind of work I love. I go to their shows, ask myself why they resonate with me, and use them as reference points to better understand my own dramaturgical instincts.

Beyond lessons in my craft, I’ve become more certain of my stance that all theatre should be political and should answer the question, “Why now?” It’s made me think more carefully about the kind of artists I want to work with and support. Being able to make theatre is such a privilege. If we have the chance to gather people in a room, why not use that opportunity to start conversations that matter?

Tell us about your show.

I’m writing and directing a one-woman show called “Cinderella and Frankenstein’s Monster Are Dead”, which is produced by my indie theatre company, The Beachcombers. We started the company as a group of women, non-binary and queer artists who love reimagining familiar stories and collecting overlooked histories and ideas to explore the experiences of marginalized people.

The play follows Zhao Lan, a Chinese exchange student in the United States who becomes obsessed with Frankenstein’s monster because she feels stitched together and out of place. When her high school drama club announces a production of “Cinderella”, she auditions for the title role, hoping it will finally help her belong. But as she struggles with language, identity, and the pressure to assimilate, she begins to wonder whether she’s been chasing the wrong story all along.

The show had a short run at the 2025 Brighton Fringe, and we’ve spent the past year rewriting and developing it. Edinburgh feels like the natural next step. We’re not sure where the show will go after August yet, but we’re excited to find out!

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

I’ve been a huge fan of Xhloe and Natasha ever since I saw their show “A Letter to Lyndon B. Johnson or God: Whoever Reads This First”, both at the Fringe and later at New York’s SoHo Playhouse. I really admire how confidently they embrace their own absurdist style. They shift so effortlessly through time and space while exploring masculinity and the myth of the American childhood. I’m so excited they’re returning to Edinburgh this year with their new show, “Bigfoot Ripped My Dog In Half I Saw It”. I’d recommend it not only for their incredibly precise, in-sync physicality, but also for the way they use conspiracy theories and misdirection to say something so sharp about today’s political climate.

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EdFringe Talk: Octopus

Posted in *EdFestivals 2026, *Written Interviews by

“All my shows are kind of about asking if it’s okay for me, a middle aged mother of two, to be an idiot.”

WHO: Louise Leigh

WHAT: “An hour of mostly stand-up aiming to explore what I do or don’t have in common with the mighty Octopus. These may include: multitasking, sexually aggressive females, a vigilant mother, mating for life, the ability to squeeze through even the tiniest gaps, a brain of many parts, delicious (but chewy), ability to completely change appearance, squirting ink from a gland near the anus and popular with the Spanish. Probably. **** (Chortle.co.uk) **** (Entertainment-Focus.com). **** (TheWeeReview.com). ‘Rubs off onto everybody around her’ **** (FunnyWomen.com).”

WHERE: Slice 5 at Hoots @ Hilton (Bread Street) (Venue 31) 

WHEN: 20:10 (55 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

This is my 4th time coming up to Edinburgh with a solo hour but I have been coming to The Festival since I came with my granny as a small girl.

Both sets of grandparents, a variety of aunts, great-aunts and cousins were all Edinburgh-based and my experience growing up was that it was quite a “proper” place. My favourite thing about the Fringe is that it feels like discovering the bank manager has a side hustle as a drag artist. For a month, it’s madness. I also love the chance to connect with other women in comedy, who are better represented here than we are on the day-to-day comedy circuit.

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

I’ve learned not only that both my kids can live without me, but also that my husband and I can live without them (very happily, as it turns out). They’ve both gone off to uni, and – yes – it’s gratifying to see them coping well and living their magnificent lives, but I’m incredibly jealous. I keep thinking “next time I’m in my 20s, I’ll be just like them” and then realising that there isn’t a next time. I don’t know if I want to absorb that lesson, ever.

Tell us about your show.

Freed from the shackles of day-to-day motherhood, I’ve spent a lot of the last year on the road working the comedy club circuit, like one of those young guys who wears a shirt. It’s been great fun but doing all that driving doesn’t leave much space for having a life, and that makes generating new material quite tricky. So I’ve had to think laterally. I decided to investigate the octopus and see what I have in common with it, and what makes me different from it. All my shows are kind of about asking if it’s okay for me, a middle aged mother of two, to be an idiot. This show answers that question with a resounding “yes”.

I’ve been working it up at Bristol Comedy Festival, Leicester Comedy Festival, the Lancaster Comedy Festival, Glasgow International Comedy Festival, Exeter Comedy Festival and the Rik Mayall Festival. The latter was great fun. Rik’s home town of Droitwich was alive with people declaring their love of Rik in their merch, dress and how they spent the day. It’s great because loads of local businesses get involved. My venue was a knitting and tea shop, which felt apt due to the number of home made costumes I have. Where next? Who knows? I’ve got a couple of venues booked in for November, but here’s hoping I’ll get some more sorted.

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

I’m excited about seeing Andrew White’s What A LIfe! and Pauline Eyre’s Anyone For Tennis is a great show returning for its second run – get tickets while you can. Also on my books: June Tuesday’s 00s Throwback Party, Paul Hilleard’s Grogg and Darryl Carrington’s Tennish will be great. Most of those guys live in Bristol (like me) and there’s such a wellspring of brilliant comedy there. It massively punches above its weight. Elsewhere, I met Roman Harris this year – he’s at the Pleasance Reserve and that’s always worth watching for future stars, as is the ever-brilliant Best In Class initiative.

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Bedfringe 2026 Interview: DEATH* by Powerpoint

Posted in *Written Interviews, Bedfringe 2026 by

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“The title of the show is something that had been rolling around in my head for years, but I hadn’t quite worked out what the show itself was going to be; that was until one of those “now I get it” moments arrived in the most unlikely of places.”

WHO: Liam Gifford

WHAT: “After a particularly bad dream during childhood left him terrified of death, Liam sets about seeing if he can finally make peace with the one human experience guaranteed to come to us all.

A show 38 years in the making, DEATH* by PowerPoint fuses a fear of the end with wonderings of what’s next and a grave sense of humour, all delivered through the most exhausting medium: PowerPoint.

DEATH* by PowerPoint is the first solo show by Liam Gifford, a theatre-maker who has created new works and directed existing ones at theatres across the UK and in Europe.”

WHERE: Quarry Theatre

WHEN: 26 July 2023 @ 17:00 (60mins)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Bedfringe?

Although this is my first time visiting Bedfringe, I’ve been a longtime admirer of the festival, so it’s a real thrill to have been invited to perform this year. I can’t wait to meet everyone who takes part in and supports the festival, and I’m looking forward to catching as many shows as I can too.

As someone who has been involved with fringe festivals in North Devon and Hampshire, I’m also excited to learn more about how Bedfringe is run. Having performed, presented, and been a punter at many festivals across the UK, I always find myself learning something new each time, and I’m sure there will be plenty for me to take away from my experience at Bedfringe.

Having first presented my show in 2024, performing DEATH* by PowerPoint at Bedfringe will be a great opportunity to see how it lands with a brand‑new audience. It has been warmly received by a broad church of audiences since its first run, and I’m really looking forward to hearing what everyone who comes along on Sunday 26 July thinks of it.

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

Since 2025 I’ve continued to develop DEATH* by PowerPoint, alongside a range of other theatrical projects, everything from fringe shows to mass‑participation performances.

One project I’m particularly excited about is a new show called DUKED: A DofE Story, which will have its first outing at Fringe TheatreFest in June 2026. I’m especially thrilled about this one because I’m creating it with my partner, Jo. We’ve been together for years but have never actually made something together, despite both being writers living under the same roof.

The biggest project I’ve been working on is The Big Movement – a monumental mass‑movement initiative by ZoieLogic to get thousands of men moving for men’s mental health, reminding men they’re not on their own. Over the past 12 months we’ve performed at The Old Bailey, hosted our own all‑male dance evening, and continued to be championed by Angela Rippon CBE – who even introduced our work to Hugh Jackman live on The One Show!

Tell us about your show.

DEATH* by PowerPoint centres around me trying to find peace with the inevitable through a mixture of honest anecdotes, grave humour, and some modern (and some not so modern) pop culture references. All of which is “delivered with delicate, sensitive wit” and “full of heart” to ensure that audiences can consider their own relationships with death.

The title of the show is something that had been rolling around in my head for years, but I hadn’t quite worked out what the show itself was going to be; that was until one of those “now I get it” moments arrived in the most unlikely of places. From that point on, the show developed pretty quickly. It had its first run of preview performances at Fringe TheatreFest in North Devon, followed by a further run the next year at the inaugural Totnes Fringe, along with one‑off performances at a range of arts venues.

One of the greatest joys for me is how positively the show has been received, despite being about a topic many people shy away from: death. The feedback I get often centres on how refreshing people find the show, and how it has helped them rethink their own relationship with death and even start open conversations with others in their lives.

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

The programme – as it is every year – is packed with fantastic shows!

On the day I’m performing, Sunday 26 July, I’m particularly looking forward to meeting the other performers in The Quarry Theatre Studio and catching their shows. Top of the list would have to be Poems from The Daily Mail (poetry on a sunny Sunday?! Yes please!), Hasta La Vista… Bibby! (fingers crossed I get to help recreate a blockbuster), and Ruby Carr: BITE ME (I love stand‑up, and Ruby’s show looks brilliant). And in between all of that, I’m hoping to get outside and see The Reverbs Ukulele Band in the (hopefully) summer sun.

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