Category Archives: *EdFestivals 2026

EdFringe Talk: Well-Balanced Dads

Posted in *EdFestivals 2026, *Written Interviews by

“An interactive script HAS to keep developing through performances, and we know our Edinburgh run will continue to shape it as we gain more and varied experiences.”

WHO: Richie Schiraldi and Britt Anderson

WHAT: “Grab your finger-guns, comb your ‘stache and brace yourselves for the Well-Balanced Dads! Dick and Dale are taking the audience on a camping trip full of dad jokes, dance moves, acrobatics, movie references and unthreatening audience participation. This hilarious duo balances levity with deeper themes like finding your inner child, hypermasculinity and navigating life after the kids have flown the nest. ‘6 stars from this dad, 5 from the rest of the family!’ (Good Dad). ‘My face hurt from smiling’ (Good Kid). A show for anyone who is a dad, has a dad or wants a dad.”

WHERE: Alba Theatre at Braw Venues @ Hill Street (Venue 41) 

WHEN: 16:30 (60 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

This will be our third Fringe in a row, fourth total. We love the magic of being in a city with thousands of other performing artists. All of our work relies on audience connection and play, and there is no other opportunity that offers such playful, eclectic audiences 23+ shows in a row! Due to travel and cost-efficiency, we often bring multiple shows each year — one that’s new, and at least one that’s a little more established. This year we’re bringing three: Well-Balanced Dads (new) and The Mothman Cometh and Arachne / Athena, both of which had great runs at Edinburgh and other fringe festivals last year.

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

As we’ve been developing the latest iteration of Well-Balanced Dads over the last year, we’ve learned how to set different audience members up for success during audience participation moments, from 4 year olds to 40 year olds. An interactive script HAS to keep developing through performances, and we know our Edinburgh run will continue to shape it as we gain more and varied experiences. Also, we’ve learned the show plays to a much wider age range than we initially anticipated. We have a multigenerational show to offer, which is very exciting.

On the admin side, we’ve learned a lot about managing our capacity and how valuable it is to bring on another team member for specific tasks. This year we hired Rosaline Hodgetts for Marketing and PR and it has been amazing. We’ve been able to focus more of our energy on the creative aspects of the show.

Tell us about your show.

Well-Balanced Dads is a high-energy, family-friendly physical comedy about Dick and Dale, two acrobatic dads and best friends, navigating life after the kids have left the nest. To cope with their newfound freedom, they take the audience on a camping trip full of dad jokes, dance moves, acrobatics, movie references and unthreatening audience participation. This hilarious duo balances levity with deeper themes like finding your inner child, hypermasculinity and navigating a changing parent/kid relationship. This show began as a 3-minute bit for Broken Planet Show in 2023 that was concocted at midnight the night before. The act grew into 10 minutes, then two acts, then an hourlong show through a residency at Chicago Danztheatre Ensemble and premiered at Made in Chicago at Chicago’s international Physical Theater Festival.

We are Whisper Theatre Collective, a Chicago-based group of artists that cultivates physical, experimental and original theatre that would otherwise be self-produced. We (Britt Anderson and Richie Schiraldi) are the co-Artistic Directors. We formed the company coming out of grad school with three other artists, and we made our first appearance at the 2019 Edinburgh Fringe, where we produced two 30-minute works in a double billed slot. Since then, we’ve written 8 shows that have been performed in the US, UK, and Europe, and we currently have 3 active shows. For Well-Balanced Dads, the two of us are the writers, directors, designers, and performers. Edinburgh Fringe is the climactic midway point in our 2026 summer tour. We’ll be going to Cannonball Festival at Philly Fringe and Rochester Fringe this fall, and we’ve already had stops at Almanac’s Wild Horizons Festival, Green Bay Fringe, and Borderlight Fringe, where we won the Comedy Award!

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

Audiences should see Broken Planet Show, led by Callum Grant. It’s not only the original container for the Dads, but it’s a fun, wild, musical, interactive show in its own right.

Come see our other, darker adult-centric shows: Arachne / Athena and The Mothman Cometh!

For circus, go see The Pieces by Aloft Circus Arts!

For excellent clowning, go see Always, Sometimes Maybe by Michele Stine and The Letterman by Bryce Flint-Somerville!

For belly laughs and flirts, go see Lt Love Dr’s Boot Camp for Lonely People Like You by Chloe Matonis!

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EdFringe Talk: (No) Refunds

Posted in *EdFestivals 2026, *Written Interviews by

“I always describe our first year at Edfringe as if we had made a goal to swim in the ocean without having ever seen an ocean before. WE DID IT. We swam in the ocean! We didn’t drown.”

WHO: Katy Murphy

WHAT: “(No) Refunds is an interactive game show play hosted by Tiffany Gold, an old-school American host and model presenter all-in-one who quite literally depends on your entertainment. One premium ticket holder, dubbed the Star Player for the evening, will compete in three games designed to amuse the audience and showcase their talents. Only those best-suited to handle the demands of stardom will walk away with a full refund. Do you have what it takes?”

WHERE: The Penny at Gilded Balloon Patter House (Venue 24) 

WHEN: 21:40 (60 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

This is our SECOND time at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. That said, I can’t say I remember much of the first feverish 5-day run we had last year?

I always describe our first year at Edfringe as if we had made a goal to swim in the ocean without having ever seen an ocean before. WE DID IT. We swam in the ocean! We didn’t drown. However, we had NEVER SEEN an ocean before! We didn’t know how helpful a liferaft, water and food preserves, and sunscreen could be and we didn’t pack ‘em! We may not have drowned, but my goodness, we barely stayed afloat.

Why do I love Edfringe? Because the community surrounding it is there to hand you a life preserver when you’re drowning. The abundance of opportunity mindset is beautiful and healing. It is a cauldron that celebrates weird art, and even though it’s a GAUNTLET, it teaches you how capable you are. Making it through last year launched three successful runs back in NYC that have allowed us to sharpen this show up into the best it’s ever been.

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

How much money I could be charging for my artistic labor. I have not absorbed this lesson. I am still underpaid. Is it worth it though? That’s the question (No) Refunds asks every night.

Tell us about your show.

This show was first drafted as a remote experience during the pandemic as a manic response to losing three jobs in one day. It has since shapeshifted into the live gameshow that debuted at Edfringe with Just the Toni last year after NYC WIP presentations at Brooklyn Comedy Collective and Theaterlab. Most recently, we debuted three brand-new games at the Tank for their Edfringe NYC previews.

On the horizon, we’re on the lookout for domestic touring opportunities (especially in Chicago, our team is chock full of Northwestern Wildcats). We plan to run it wherever they’ll have us until the wheels come off.

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

Well, depending on what you like the most about (No) Refunds, here’s some recommendations:

If you like a clown character with a heart of gold: Lizzy Sunshine (also at Patter House!), I’ve seen Liz perform this show three times now (last year’s Fringe preview, at the Fringe, and this year at SoHo Playhouse in NYC), and she’s one of the best to do it. A must-see.

If you like a show that’s different every night: Mistakes Were Made: Shiver Me Timbers, an improvised show influenced by dice rolls featuring a local cast that sold out last year. This year the cast includes Lucette Panush, an ex-pat who I saw perform in the States before she moved to Edinburgh and she always delights.

If you like queer campy plays: 1518: The Dancing Plague, as a former accidental European History Minor (turns out if you take enough classes for fun they give you a certification???) This show touches on all my special interests. BASED ON ACTUAL HISTORY! Straight off of an LA run that looks like a blast.

If you like the dark side of typecasts: Hater, a play about obsession, their social media team has been KILLING IT (maybe foreshadowing some murderous vibes in the play itself?) and I’ve been stalking what they’re up to online.

If you like theatre from the NYC downtown scene: Like a Good Neighbor is a solo show that feels like a warm hug by Jake Alexander, who I had the pleasure of sharing a cohort with at Theaterlab earlier this year for their Meltingplot Festival. Irene Woo’s Golden Child just had a run at the Tank for Edinburgh Fringe Previews with us and chronicles her path from “successful Google Engineer” to (her words) “unemployed clown.” Finally, Noted, also going up at the Tank before Fringe hailed as a “live-action cartoon” seems like a whole lot of fun.

If you like shows everyone likes: Stamptown was the first Fringe show I saw in real life, and it will always hold a special place in my heart. A great tasting menu of all the Fringe has to offer.

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EdFringe Talk: No Hard Felix

Posted in *EdFestivals 2026, *Written Interviews by

“I’m excited to get swallowed up whole by the festival. I hope her teeth aren’t sharp and she spits me out in one piece.”

WHO: Mark Ryder

WHAT: “Toxic masculinity finally meets his match: erectile dysfunction. Felix is a finance bro with a big watch, a big ego and a little problem downstairs. His chaotic quest to “fix” himself spirals into an accidental journey into vulnerability and the scared parts of himself he’s spent a lifetime avoiding. Felix needs to heal(ix). ‘A great night out – witty, fast-paced and absurdly funny’ **** (TheSpyInTheStalls.com). ‘Not just gags and giggles… moments that drew gasps’ **** (LondonTheatre1.com).”

WHERE: Just Out Of The Box at Just The Tonic at The Caves (Venue 88) 

WHEN: 13:20 (60 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

I’ve experienced a few chilly Hogmanays in Edinburgh but this is my first time performing. And first time performing at any fringe theatre festival so I am a giant newbie. I’m excited to get swallowed up whole by the festival. I hope her teeth aren’t sharp and she spits me out in one piece.

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

The director, Rute Costa, told me that the show will develop and change. And I thought, ‘No chance, this is a masterpiece. ’Tis perfect and shall remain untouched.” And here we are with a show that has changed A LOT. When it is your words that you’ve written, you want to hold on so tightly to it. But now loosening that grip has led to all the fun. The show is never fully finished. There’s always little things to experiment with and discover night to night.

Little bonus life lesson! Is try to see the stars as much as possible (not Hollywood stars, actual star stars). When you live in cities with all the pollution you forget them. And it does something to you to look up at the universe.

Tell us about your show.

It’s a one-man show about toxic masculinity. About a ridiculous finance bro who can’t get it up. It’s big, playful, silly and heartfelt. I wrote it and am performing, but this is a piece dealing with straight white men in the world, and as one of those myself, the show needed a completely different eye. And so, the wonderful Rute Costa has come in to direct and has completely elevated it.

We did a few shows last year in London to see how the show was landing. The reviews were good so now we are taking the next step with the Fringe! The instagram page from the point of view of this character @nohardfelix EXPLODED earlier this year, so it feels like people are responding to this character. The topic of toxic men has been looked at from a serious angle from Adolescene and Louis Theroux’s manosphere documentary, but there’s definitely room to come at it from the comedy side too.

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

Go see Keeley Hazell: Everyone’s Seen My Tits, Bunker Two at Pleasance Courtyard 5-29 August. It’s based off her book which was mega. She was an ex-page 3 model and such a staple of early 00’s lad culture. Goes hand in hand with the No Hard Felix content but going to be amazing to hear it from her perspective.

My other recc is The Pitch, Baby Grand at Pleasance Courtyard 5-31 August. It’s about Gaelic football in Northern Ireland. This one is just gonna hit all the right notes. Laugh and cry.

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EdFringe Talk: Always, Sometimes, Maybe

Posted in *EdFestivals 2026, *Written Interviews by

“Last year was my first and I’m hooked.”

WHO: Michele Stine

WHAT: “‘…class act in mime and clowning’ ***** (BingeFringe.com). ‘…you feel a collective goosebumps’ ***** (Fringesider.com). ‘Exceptionally entertaining clowning’ **** (BroadwayBaby.com). Always, Sometimes, Maybe is a solo clown show about a janitor so lonely she makes her friends out of trash. Using physical comedy and puppetry, this show is a funny and wild journey into what it means to be alone, and how we find our way back to each other. Lou unexpectedly finds herself with an audience; with nothing but her rubbish and lot of imagination, she tries to find connection.”

WHERE: Playground 3 at ZOO Playground (Venue 186) 

WHEN: 18:25 (60 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

This will be my second time coming to the Edinburgh Fringe.  Last year was my first and I’m hooked.  The first year was daunting and a little frightening because so much is unknown. And, honestly, I still feel those things but now there’s a level of excitement and joy that I’m feeling because I know what to expect. There’s this exhilarating experience of getting to perform your show everyday for a month, of getting to meet amazing artists from around the world, and seeing shows that you’d otherwise never get to witness.

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

Take things a day at a time. If you can do it now, do it. Be gentle with yourself.

Feels a bit like a self-help guide, but that doesn’t make any of it less true. I’ve been wading through the rip tides of grief, having lost loved ones over the last 12 months and trying to find joy or respite while also allowing for the space to fall apart have all been critical for me. Am I able to do those things, always? Absolutely not. Will I look back on this past year and think it bananas to be taking this show, this year, to the fringe? Possibly.

Tell us about your show.

Always, Sometimes, Maybe is a solo puppet-clown show about a janitor so lonely she’s made her friends out of trash. Lou unexpectedly finds herself with an audience; with nothing but her rubbish and a lot of imagination, she tries to find connection. Using physical comedy and puppetry, this show is a funny and wild journey into what it means to be alone, and how we find our way back to each other. It’s written by myself, Michele Stine, and directed by Raquel Torre with puppets designed and built by me, as well.

My show is returning to the fringe after a critically acclaimed run at last year’s Edinburgh Fringe, however it has undergone some major developments and changes. Previously it was a show for all ages; it was a hopeful, sweet show with a wide-eyed character looking to belong. Now, it’s a more honest, dark, and ridiculous show about the lengths one goes to to feel less alone in the world.

After this year’s run at Fringe, the show will have a six week run in Chicago (details to come soon).

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

After seeing Always, Sometimes, Maybe folks should immediately purchase a ticket to see The Pieces by Aloft. 6 acrobats and 8 ladders that move, collide, connect, and build into unbelievable structures, cranes, and bridges. “What keeps us standing in an unsteady world? In a divided time, it is a celebration of falling, coming together and choosing to rise as one.”

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EdFringe Talk: The Mothman Cometh

Posted in *EdFestivals 2026, *Written Interviews by

“Mothman is a big vocal show for me, and last year I learned about things I need to avoid eating in order to sustain vocal health: no ice cream, cheese, coffee within 4 hours of the show… it was difficult”

WHO: Richie Schiraldi

WHAT: “Darkness.. It’s where demons and monsters hide. We’re told to fear it. Mothman says otherwise. Come. Join Mothman. Dance. Sing. Play. Scream into the void. Sink into the Abyss. Embrace the darkness together. This show is performed mostly in the dark, lit by Mothman’s glowing red eyes. ‘One of the finest, oddest experiences… Seek out the Mothman.’ ***** (StarburstMagazine.com). Best Comedy: Edinburgh Spookies. Audience Choice: Green Bay Fringe”

WHERE: Just The Fancy Room at Just The Tonic at The Caves (Venue 88) 

WHEN: 22:10 (60 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

This will be my 4th time, my 3rd year in a row, and my 2nd year self-producing while performing my original work! It’s such a magical beast of a festival, and I can’t think of a better place to get your reps in, test your material, and grow as an artist.

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

Pacing yourself and making sure you’re taking care of your body and voice during the festival; this is a marathon, not a sprint, and at the end of the day, you need to make sure you can show up and do your show tomorrow.

Warm-up. Warm-up beyond what the show asks that way the show is easy, and doesn’t take a compounding toll on your body.

Mothman is a big vocal show for me, and last year I learned about things I need to avoid eating in order to sustain vocal health: no ice cream, cheese, coffee within 4 hours of the show… it was difficult, especially avoiding gelato, but it was necessary – it made for a good binge day on my day off!

Tell us about your show.

The Mothman Cometh is about an endearing yet powerful cryptic creature who is recruiting minions of darkness. Mothman guides the audience through a variety of games, rituals, and happenings while trying to navigate the void to build community and embrace the darkness together.

I am a one-man operation for the show – i am the writer, producer, designer, and performer!

Mothman premiered in Chicago, and is in its second year of touring. Last year it made stops at the Green Bay, Philly and Edinburgh Fringes, had a special performance in Berlin, and had shows in the spring and fall in Chicago. This year, Mothman has already been to the Asheville, Prague, and Green Bay fringes, and will be making his way to Edinburgh and Rochester, with hopes of stopping in the Hudson Valley area for a few hometown shows.

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

Definitely go see Well-Balanced Dads for some Dad antics and summer-camp fun

Arachne/Athena for some beautiful solo Greek Myth storytelling

Broken Planet Show for an absurdly silly time!

Lt. Love Dr’s Boot Camp for Lonely People Like You for some IRL flirting drills to save us from a lonely, digital future!

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EdFringe Talk: Time Travel Postman

Posted in *EdFestivals 2026, *Written Interviews by

“Last year at the festival we got a little over ambitious and expected to have a smooth, polished run, but it was anything but that. We got our egos in check, and figured out what really mattered with the show — having fun.”

WHO: Sevrin Willinder

WHAT: “A clown (Sevrin Willinder) needs the audience’s help to deliver letters across time and space. Through joyful participation, you are invited to embrace the unexpected, explore the beauty of human connection, and make sure the postman completes his galaxy-spanning paper route. A new show from Devon Loves ME! Productions (Melissa Ingle and Sevrin Willinder).”

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

WHEN: 20:40 (60 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

This is our 3rd time at the Festival! My collaborator Melissa and I both love the festival a lot. It’s a place we have started to love to go every year to share our work with a wild, wider audience, and to get inspired by work from all around the world and of all sorts of different genres. We love making new friends at the festival, and are incredibly excited to see some returning ones that we have deeply missed having directly in our lives these last 12 months!!

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

Over the last 12 months we have really been focusing on having fun. Last year at the festival we got a little over ambitious and expected to have a smooth, polished run, but it was anything but that. We got our egos in check, and figured out what really mattered with the show — having fun. Since then, we have fully polished the show out of WIP form, and really made an effort to enjoy every moment of the work. Our runs in NYC since then have been the most fun we’ve ever had with the show. I think we’ve thoroughly absorbed that sense of fun, and I hope that we maintain it!

Tell us about your show.

Our show is Time Travel Postman, it’s about a time traveling postman who needs the audience’s help to deliver all the mail on his route. It’s a silly time, and full of fun games with the audience. We focus on enjoying the moment with the people around us. Melissa and I co-devised it, and then performed it 30+ times in WIP form until we now have a fully realized polished final product. We met originally back in 2019 doing political radio plays in the East Village of NYC, and have been best friends ever since. Eventually I approached Melissa with the desire to make a solo show inspired by the friends I made while living and traveling abroad, and it became Time Travel Postman. We have done several runs of the show in New York City (where we are based), a WIP run at the fringe last year (under the working title “It Was Really Good to Know You”), and another couple runs in NYC after that. We are in talks with taking it to Dublin post-fringe, and our dream is to bring it to a country that doesn’t speak English (we made the show non-verbal in order to reach as many people as possible).

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

The Passion of Mr. Cardboard — Miles is amazing, and a true genius of clowning.

Channel — it’s a great, chill sound bath experience, and very needed with all the hecticness of fringe.

Blizzard — Piotr inspired me to make a non-verbal show with his last one. He might be the sweetest, most sensitive clown of all time.

Peregrinations — I’ve never seen such creativity in a show! Also, never have I seen a show done entirely with larval masks!

Dog Funeral — Zoe truly does put the “fun” in “funeral.”

Double Take — this is classic miming at its finest and most poignant.

The Movement — Ethan & Gigi are such a joy at all times. I’m a real sucker for best friends making shows together.

Noted — it’s like watching a cartoon in real life!

Danger Plan! — I can’t say enough good things about Sophia as a storyteller or a singer.

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EdFringe Talk: Andy Macleod’s Soho Days and Camden Nights

Posted in *EdFestivals 2026, *Written Interviews by

“It’s like being back at university meets Glastonbury in the most beautiful city in the world.”

WHO: Andy Macleod

WHAT: “A failed rockstar stumbles into band management to live the dream vicariously. From 90s London to the present day, through changing music scenes and a new digital landscape, this funny, bittersweet tale explores ambition, identity and knowing when to stop… or not. Adapted from his new book Soho Days, Camden Nights, Andy Macleod returns to the Fringe with this one-man show – a follow-up to his critically acclaimed 2022 show Anoint My Head, described by The Scotsman as ‘charmingly ramshackle catnip.'”

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

WHEN: 14:25 (60 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

It is my second time as a performer. This year with a one man show adaptation of my new book Soho Days Camden NIghts. My debut run was in 2022 with a one man show adapted from my first book Anoint My Head.  I’m a Londoner of Scottish parents who grew up in Edinburgh so our summer holidays every year were spent at The Fringe so I have been a punter since childhood in the seventies and eighties and watched it grow.  I love everything about fringe, the shows, the surroundings, the endeavour of it all.  I always wanted to perform so it was a thrill to make it happen in my fifties and feel young again. It’s like being back at university meets Glastonbury in the most beautiful city in the world.

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

It’s a huge learning curve. You improve with every show you do, whether it goes well or not. And every show is different and unique to that performance and interaction with the audience, which itself is different each time. Whatever you think the show is, until you perform it you don’t really know but eventually the show will reveal itself via different audiences over successive nights. It’s not easy and a bit like trying to staple jelly but when it clicks it’s a truly wonderful feeling and dangerously addictive.

Tell us about your show.

It is a one man show adapted from my new book Soho Days Camden Nights which is published this summer. The show has been written and performed by me and directed by BAFTA award winning actor Jason Watkins and is being premiered at Edinburgh. It is primarily about chasing your dream and what happens when reality gets in the way. First as a rockstar and then as band manager and third as something else but I won’t tell you what that is otherwise a spolier.

It’s also a trip back to the 90s and an ode to the heyday of Camden music scene where I try to make it by night while working various day jobs in Soho.

And it might deal with lofty ideas about identity and ambition and if I am really clever I might even reveal the secret to success.

But underneath all of that its about giving yourself permission to follow your passion.

After Edinburgh I will be performing in London and then hopefully touring it.

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

If Natalie Palamides is playing she will be top of my list after being blown away by Weer.  Also Police Cops, David O Docherty, Ahir Shah, Ray O Leary…and The InCureables – a tribute to The Cure!

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EdFringe Talk: Guy Branum: Be Fruitful

Posted in *EdFestivals 2026, *Written Interviews by

“I’m still trying to get the American TV industry I love back on its feet.”

WHO: Guy Branum

WHAT: “Emmy and Golden-Globe winning comedian Guy Branum goes on a joke-dense slide show journey through religion and science arguing that he, as a clinically obese gay man, does not serve any practical purpose. Guy recruits his audience to look at the origins of homophobia and anti-fat bias and asks how correct they might be. He uses this journey to explore how we tell stories about people traditionally ignored, why he’s bad at telling stories, the 1984 Tony Awards, the first and only time he’s been in love, and, of course, the biology and evolution of fruit.”

WHERE: Billiard Room at Gilded Balloon Teviot (Venue 14) 

WHEN: 20:30 (60 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

I’ve never been to the Edinburgh Fringe, but I’ve watched as my friends took smart, well-crafted shows to the Fringe, it found an audience, and the shows turned into HBO and Netflix specials. I’ve also seen the way people who’ve gone as performers and audience speak with rapturous intoxication about the feeling of being surrounded by that much art and energy. I want a hit of whatever is intoxicating them.

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

In Los Angeles there can be a very limited idea of what success looks like in entertainment, but as the industry is changing, that success is getting rarer. The last year has been about the industry making clear that it’s ready to fall apart, and me trying to get up the gumption to throw myself out of the collapsing building to create work I like. I haven’t fully picked up the message, I’m still trying to get the American TV industry I love back on its feet, but for now, finding satisfaction through live performance and Instagram videos has to be the fuel that keeps me going.

Tell us about your show.

I wrote my show, and I’m my company, so the company came together when my parents decided to have sex many decades ago. My show is about the limited, heteronormative idea of value and purpose we have as a society, and what it means to be a very fat gay man in a world that doesn’t see a lot of value or use in someone like me. It is also about fruit. I’ve worked the show out in Los Angeles for a while, and taken it on the road a bit, but Edinburgh is really its coming out party. The show has evolved a great deal over a year, and now I believe it’s reached its final, Charizard form. After the run in Edinburgh I will be setting the show and myself on fire to accept that no future version could ever be as perfect.

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

I REALLY love the LA-based Heated Rivalry Parody musical at the Gilded Balloon (I believe there are roughly 70 Heated Rivalry Parody Musicals coming to the fest, I plan to have sex with all of the Ilyas and most of the Shanes). And I’m mostly excited to see a bunch of comedians from the UK I love, Rose Matafeo, Nish Kumar, Connor Burns, and my friend Sophie Hagen. And then there are a bunch of my friends from America who are coming: Sam Morrison, Brendan Scannell, Ify Nwadiwe, Shane Torres, and everyone involved in Stamptown. And people should get their Stamptown tickets soon, because over the course of the run, most of the good cast members will probably be mangled in some sort of t-shirt cannon to the groin incident. Zach Zucker is a public menace and must be stopped.

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EdFringe Talk: Best. Dad. NEVER.

Posted in *EdFestivals 2026, *Written Interviews by

“So embarrassing that one of my first impressions of EdFringe was watching The Simpsons cartoon where Lisa buys a ticket to ‘Musical: The Play.'”

WHO: Hike Chahinian

WHAT: “A gay Armenian-American Girl Dad, setting out to be the perfect Black Girl Magic-celebrating papa, stumbles through the hilarious and humbling fumbles of first-time fatherhood: from shopping for girls’ swimsuits to catching his own bigotry. Haig “Hike” Chahinian, grandson of Armenian Genocide survivors, was expected to marry a woman from his tribe. Instead, he met his dream man and adopted a bouncing biracial baby. Inspired by his viral essays in The New York Times, this intimate, messy, richly relatable story unpacks what we inherit, what we pass down, and the inherent conflict in striving to be good.”

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

WHEN: 13:05 (60 min)

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Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

Is it ever, I’ve never even been to Scotland before. So embarrassing that one of my first impressions of EdFringe was watching The Simpsons cartoon where Lisa buys a ticket to “Musical: The Play.” Now I’m feeling the pull to produce my own show there. I’m excited to work among thousands of artists, and even more—millions?—of theatregoers. It’s possible I’m going to feel like a child on the first day of school where the classroom is a toy store. I’m going to be playing with so much, and so many! I hope I don’t break anything. Except maybe ticket sales records?

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

That audiences find fumbling through fatherhood to be funny. Good thing, as that’s the essence of my piece.

Also, I used to think that grounded, compelling performances like Hannah Gadsby’s and Wanda Syke’s specials must have come naturally. I love their sardonic humor, and the way they talk to the audience like friends. But my wonderful director Sandi McCree tells me words have to be supported by movement—in voice, face, and body. She said the audience experiences freedom when the performer has put in the work. I didn’t know what that meant, until I got on stage.

After recent rehearsals I’ve been feeling spent, ready for a nap. So I think I’m absorbing the lesson?

Tell us about your show.

My show Best. Dad. NEVER. reveals all the secrets about being a queer parent in an interracial family. Trying to buy a girl’s bathing suit, getting bullied by toddlers, catching my own bigotry, it’s all in the script I wrote, inspired by essays I’d published in the New York Times, and O The Oprah Magazine. Along with the amazing team at Suzanna Rosenthal Productions, my husband and I are producing this run. I premiered the show at Solofest 2025 in Los Angeles, then mounted a 5-night run at the Hollywood Fringe Festival. If I had a crystal ball I’d love to tell you where the show’s headed after EdFringe. Do you have one so you could tell me?

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

Definitely ‘Notes from a Narcissistic Negro and Other N Words’ written and performed by tour de force Elizabeth June. I couldn’t see its Los Angeles run, and I’m beyond excited to travel 5,000 miles to see it in person at last. 16:45 at the Annexe at Paradise in the Vault.

Also, ‘Roomies’, written and performed by fellow Los Angeleno Julia Stephens. I attended an awesome early reading and I’m eager to see how the technical aspects come to life. I understand it’s going to be a real treat.

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EdFringe Talk: Aidan Greene: Stuttermilk Pancakes

Posted in *EdFestivals 2026, *Written Interviews by

“I’ve never actually experienced the Fringe as a punter. I only know it as a desperate, sleep-deprived performer standing on the Royal Mile in the rain, desperately trying to hand wet pictures of myself to tourists while trying to look like I’m not dying inside.”

WHO: Aidan Greene

WHAT: “Award-winning comedian Aidan Greene is Ireland’s foremost stammering comedian (he’s also the only one). For years he’s been told not to let his stutter define him. Well… too late. Join the bad boy of stammering for a razor-sharp, big-hearted show about embracing what makes you different and having serious craic along the way. ‘Destined for stardom’ (RTE). ‘A joy to behold’ (PasteMagazine.com). ‘A show which is as heartfelt as hilarious’ **** (TheWeeReview.com).”

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

WHEN: 17:45 (60 min)

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Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

This is my eight Edinburgh Fringe and my tenth solo show. I took a break last year to make a short film and pent last summer living vicariously through all of my friends Instagram stories. There’s truly nothing like the Fringe. The sheer volume and quality of shows can be deeply overwhelming, but my absolute favourite thing is to grab a random flyer from a stranger and take a punt on a show I’ve never heard of. That’s how I’ve found some of my favourite performers.

I’ve never actually experienced the Fringe as a punter. I only know it as a desperate, sleep-deprived performer standing on the Royal Mile in the rain, desperately trying to hand wet pictures of myself to tourists while trying to look like I’m not dying inside. So if you see me, please take a flyer. My self-esteem depends on it.

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

I wrote and starred in a short film called “Stutterbug” last year and I learned that I am incredibly impatient. I love the immediate gratification that stand-up provides. With stand-up, if a joke bombs, you know within three seconds and you can fix it. When you put a joke in a film, you have to wait at least a year for the edit, the colour grade and the festival run to find out if anyone actually laughs at it. It’s agonising.

That said, acting in the film definitely forced me to grow as a performer. It’s been a very long time since I’ve done proper acting (I’d tell you why, but that is literally a massive plot point in Stuttermilk Pancakes) so Stutterbug taught me a lot about stage presence and physicality. Also, since I use a lot of multimedia in my stand-up, I robbed a few filmmaking tricks and dropped them straight into this show. Hopefully nobody from the film notices.

Tell us about your show.

My show is called Stuttermilk Pancakes. It’s a stand-up show about growing up with a stutter and how society’s weird perceptions of stuttering shaped my perception of myself. If that sounds serious don’t worry. It’s not like a therapy session. It’s very funny. So actually, it might be like a really bad therapy session.

It’s a fast-paced mixture of stand-up and multimedia where I take on Joe Biden, Harry Potter, and one incredibly unfortunate school production of Cinderella that went so off the rails it left a room full of children wondering if the ball would ever actually end.

This show is for anyone who’s been told to hide what makes them different. Basically, it’s like The King’s Speech but a lot more craic.

I do everything myself in the show. I’m a real control freak. I write the show, edit the videos, photoshop the images and do all my own stuttering.

The show is debuting at the Edinburgh Fringe and will hopefully tour around afterwards. But for now, I’m focused on surviving Edinburgh!

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

John Spillane is a quintessential fringe experience. The man performs a brand up show every single day based on whatever his wild little brain comes up with. It’s one of the wildest rides at the Fringe.

Roger O’Sullivan’s debut last year was so good I’m still mad about it. Everyone should go and see him before he gets too famous.

Two comedy theatre pieces I couldn’t recommend higher are “Secrets Secrets Shhh!” and “Nothing Personal”. Both are hilarious but also unhinged.

And then I love Scottish acts so can’t recommend Marjolein Robertson and Rosco McClelland enough!

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