Category Archives: *EdFestivals 2026

EdFringe Talk: Irene Woo: Golden Child

Posted in *EdFestivals 2026, *Written Interviews by

“Putting together a show for the Edinburgh Fringe is the same as planning a wedding: you’ll spend all your time, money, energy into something you deeply care about that your friends don’t really want to go to. (Of course I’m kidding, my friends are very supportive!)”

WHO: Irene Woo

WHAT: “Until recently, Irene Woo embodied the ‘Golden Child’. As a Senior Software Engineer at Google, she had it all: the six-figure salary, the impressive job title and the unconditional approval of her immigrant parents. But when she turned 28, she quit her job to tell jokes in damp basements. With the unrelenting standards of a Type-A Asian oldest daughter and the messy reality of a human being, Irene explores the golden handcuffs of the tech world, the cultural whiplash of being a French-Chinese woman in America and the baffling logic of modern relationships.”

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

WHEN: 17:55 (60 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

It’s my third time in Edinburgh! I first went to attend the Fringe last summer as a punter, earlier this year for a wedding, and now to perform my first stand-up hour. In the span of 12 months, I will have gone 3 times. I’m basically Scottish now.

Edfringe is truly so magical. The concentration of talent and the variety of shows is just unmatched. I was only able to go for one day last year and I felt so inspired by how creative artists were. I also appreciated how well-organized Edfringe is, which is a must for a Type-A eldest daughter like myself.

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

Putting together a show for the Edinburgh Fringe is the same as planning a wedding: you’ll spend all your time, money, energy into something you deeply care about that your friends don’t really want to go to. (Of course I’m kidding, my friends are very supportive!)

But just like a wedding, plenty of people will offer their unsolicited opinions along the way. The biggest takeway from it all is, just like on your big day, the goal is to have fun.

Tell us about your show.

My show, Golden Child, is about how I decided to quit my software engineering job at Google to pursue stand-up comedy, and how I broke the news to my Chinese dad. I wrote it and Matt Gehring directed it. I performed the show three times in New York as special previews before taking it to Edinburgh. After Edinburgh, I’m hoping to tour the show in Europe, the US, Australia, and Asia.

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

They should definitely go see “Bride To Be” by Meg Millane. I got to see it in New York, it’s a hilarious take on the wedding industry, bride culture, and what getting married actually means.

LIKE WHAT YOU JUST READ? FOLLOW US ON TWITTER! OR SIGN UP TO OUR MAILING LIST!

INTERESTED IN BEING INTERVIEWED TOO? CLICK HERE!

EdFringe Talk: Alice Fraser: Oh Man!

Posted in *EdFestivals 2026, *Written Interviews by

“As with many great monuments, EdFringe is definitely sometimes a little overcrowded and overpriced. But nonetheless, it’s an extraordinary feat of humanity.”

WHO: Alice Fraser

WHAT: “One of the Telegraph’s 50 Best Comedians of the 21st Century. She’s decided she actually quite likes men and wants to help. There are a lot of men telling men how to be, and how to optimise life, business and testosterone. Alice has been thinking about it ever since a near-near-death experience with some masculinity and has some stuff to say. Featuring a sentient Roomba and some Ancient Greek philosophy. ‘Alice Fraser is a powerhouse’ ***** (EdinburghGuide.com). ***** (BroadwayBaby.com).”

WHERE: O’Neill’s (The Tron) at Monkey Barrel Comedy (O’Neill’s, The Tron) (Venue 51) 

WHEN: 20:40 (60 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

I think this is coming up on my ninth year! I am so romantic about Edinburgh – I genuinely think it’s one of the great monuments of civilisation that we’ve built a month where people come from all over the world to do art as hard as they can. What an incredible feat. For all the stresses and awful things, it’s still pretty amazing. A lot needs to be going right in the world for that space to exist. As with many great monuments, it’s definitely sometimes a little overcrowded and overpriced. But nonetheless, it’s an extraordinary feat of humanity.

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

I have become increasingly repulsed by the process of having my attention or preference guided by algorithms. I try not to reach for my phone. It really is a zero sum game when I wake up in the morning; either I get to decide what my first thought is, or they do.

I’ve decided I’m going to hand-write my important emails, just for the thrill. I’ve done five or six. Write them, take a photo, send them. Probably need more legible or beautiful handwriting for it to be truly impactful as a choice.

Tell us about your show.

I wrote it and Gag Reflex are producing it in Edinburgh. I brought the brilliant Joz Norris on board to help me make sure I prioritise silliness and chaos. I’m constantly fighting the urge to go “hmm, interesting” and push my glasses up my nose. Joz is great for reminding me to balance it with my joy in the ridiculousness.

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

Oh my goodness! Go see Tom Neenan, Felicity Ward, Eleanor Morton, Alison Spittle, Joz Norris and John Luke Roberts’ WIPs, which are already better than most polished shows.

Also just go take a chance on an act you’ve never heard of! Open the program at a random page, close your eyes and point! I loathe people who need everything to be consensus group think five stars guaranteed. Go have a two star experience! Get flyered into something by someone with a desperate look in their eye! Screw algorithms promising you a frictionlessly pleasant everything. Take a bloody chance.

LIKE WHAT YOU JUST READ? FOLLOW US ON TWITTER! OR SIGN UP TO OUR MAILING LIST!

INTERESTED IN BEING INTERVIEWED TOO? CLICK HERE!

EdFringe Talk: A Better Memory

Posted in *EdFestivals 2026 by

“Because you’re performing for a whole month, the show has room to grow and evolve.”

WHO: Ihsan Kerr

WHAT: “Eleanor switches on an AI replica of her late husband but discovers memories that don’t match her own. Mia is young, disillusioned with dating men and in love with an AI chatbot. When secrets surface and the past begins to unravel, both women are forced to question what they thought they knew. Lubna Kerr returns to the Fringe after her five-star Tickbox trilogy, with an electrifying new play featuring a dynamic cast, A dark comic exploration of memory, forgiveness and the human experience with Kathryn Marper and Codge Crawford and co-directed by Ihsan Kerr/Kathryn Marper.”

WHERE: The Green at Pleasance Courtyard (Venue 33) 

WHEN: 18:30 (60 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

This is my first Edinburgh Fringe as a playwright, although I’ve performed at the Fringe many times before as an improviser. This will be Lubna Kerr’s (my mum!) fourth show, following her acclaimed Tickbox trilogy. Those were all one-woman shows, so it’s been incredibly exciting to work with a full cast for the first time and collaborate with such talented actors. Especially as the Fringe is tending towards smaller casts and one-person shows, for very understandable reasons.

The Fringe – there’s nowhere else quite like it. You get immediate feedback from audiences every single day, and because you’re performing for a whole month, the show has room to grow and evolve. It’s a really rare opportunity, and we are all doing our part to keep it alive.

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

One of the biggest things we’ve learned is never to underestimate an audience. Lubna’s previous shows were rooted in her experiences as a Pakistani immigrant, but people from every background saw themselves in those stories. The more personal and specific the writing became, the more universal it felt.

We’ve taken that lesson into A Better Memory. On the surface it’s a play about AI, but we hope audiences leave talking about much bigger questions: grief, memory, forgiveness and what makes us human. You know those conversations you have with your pals after a show, dissecting and retelling it? That’s where we want to be.

Tell us about your show.

A Better Memory is my debut play and is produced by Kerr Arts Collective. It’s co-directed by me and Kathryn Marper, who also plays Mia. It stars Lubna Kerr as Eleanor and Codge Crawford as Harold.
The company has come together over time. My mum and I have always worked creatively together, with me becoming more involved each year. After her Tickbox trilogy, I shared the idea for A Better Memory with her, and she immediately encouraged me to write it. From there, we’ve built a brilliant team around the project, bringing together performers and creatives who could balance the humour, mystery and emotional heart of the story.

The play receives its world premiere at this year’s Edinburgh Fringe. We previously toured Tickbox around theatres across the UK, and one of the things we’re really passionate about is encouraging more People of Colour to come and experience live theatre. We’d love the opportunity to do that again with A Better Memory.

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

Kerr Arts Collective is a brand-new theatre company, and we are lucky enough to be producing two other shows at the Fringe! Parkies is a comedy-drama about life as a park ranger in Utah’s national parks, and later in August, we have We Are All Florida Man, an absurdist comedy inspired by real-life “Florida Man” headlines. They’re both completely different from A Better Memory, and we’re really proud to be helping bring them to the Fringe.

Within the Pleasance, you can’t go wrong with anything by Maybe You Like It Theatre, or Jordan Brookes for chaotically genius comedy.

LIKE WHAT YOU JUST READ? FOLLOW US ON TWITTER! OR SIGN UP TO OUR MAILING LIST!

INTERESTED IN BEING INTERVIEWED TOO? CLICK HERE!

EdFringe Talk: Camilla Borges: Be Not Afraid!

Posted in *EdFestivals 2026, *Written Interviews by

“Previously, I have either done work in progress shows, with mostly shorter runs but this year I am really backing myself with this one!”

WHO: Camilla Borges

WHAT: “Camilla has a theory that who you played in your school Nativity shaped who you grew up to be. She played Mary, so, surely she should be a CEO by now? Not quite… Mother of God, but she was also just a girl. What if she wanted to listen to Lorde instead of give birth to one? Millennial angst meets a new form in Be Not Afraid! Part school play, part diary entry, it invites audiences to help Camilla grow up and face reality. Featuring high levels of audience interaction, silliness and unmet potential!”

WHERE: Nic 9 (Nicolson Square Gardens) at Hoots @ Nicolson Square (Venue 63) 

WHEN: 18:30 (60 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

No, this is my fourth time bringing a show to Edinburgh. It is my second full run, but my first doing a completed show with a team backing me. Previously, I have either done work in progress shows, with mostly shorter runs but this year I am really backing myself with this one!

Once you start going it is quite addictive; any years I haven’t gone I always put on a big show of feeling ok about it, then as soon as it starts I spend the whole time looking at pictures of people who are there like a sad ex.

I have been many times as a punter before and it truly is such a magical place. It feels like there is something going on in every corner and you can get a full sensory overload just from walking around.

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

Lessons that I have learnt over the past 12 months are definitely that I need structure and having a team around you is extremely helpful. I have always been quite scatty in terms of writing and putting a show together, but having people give you clear instructions and deadlines helps a lot. It might sound quite basic, but having someone else expect something of you makes my drive to do something a lot bigger!

Previous times I have been to Edinburgh it has been as a solo show/ performer, so it’s just been me working on the show, which can be overwhelming at times. This year I have some people around me and it has helped a lot- definitely helped the stress levels. To know that other people are doing things on your behalf is a huge help. Edinburgh- it takes a village!

Tell us about your show.

The show is written and performed by my, Camilla. It is inspired by my starring role as Mary in my school Nativity when I was younger, and how everything since then has been a letdown. I have been working on it for over a year and it’s gone in new directions I could never have predicted, and I am very excited to show it to people.

The show is directed by Martin Willis, who has been a huge help in shaping the show, asking questions and pulling me back when things get a bit mad. I had met Martin through comedy channels and we are good at matching each others’ energy.

I am doing some previews in London before taking the show to Edinburgh, everything could change between those final previews and Edinburgh, but I am hoping they will be a good measure of how the show will be received.

I am hoping the show has a life after Edinburgh – at the minute it’s pretty hard to think past Edinburgh but I would love to your it around the UK, or even to take it to some international festivals would be amazing.

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

I think Edinburgh is a great to time to see new acts you wouldn’t have heard of before. See some work in progress shows, go to the free fringe- you will see acts that will be blowing up in a few years I guarantee you.

There is so much talent in Edinburgh it’s a bit insane, but I would particularly recommend:

Ruby Carr: Bite Me- Hoots Nic 9 15:50

Ruby’s first show was so good, she has such an amazing mind for looking at the small, ordinary things and expanding on them. I’ve heard great things about the show and I know she’ll deliver.

Roger Prick: Sexopolis- Underbelly Cowgate 18:55

I have been dying to see Roger Prick for ages and I know the full length show is going to be so good. I know there are going to be insane, niche and clever references and I am excited to get sexy with it! There have been some amazing boy drag shows over the last few years and I think Hannah is going to nail it.

Freya Bardell: Shine- Just the Tonic 15:10

Freya comes from a slightly more theatre background so I know she’s really going to go for the precise visuals. She is a hard worker so everything will be intentional and thought out. It’s a wip so I wouldn’t be surprised if the show changes and evolves as the run goes on- I know I’ll be going more than once.

Freya Mallard: Come Get Me World I’m Wide Open! Hoots 22:35

There is maybe no one sharper than Freya on the comedy scene. Her lines are killer and she looks good doing it. She also has such a unique perspective having had a baby quite young, and I am dying to hear her thoughts on early motherhood while also maintaining a hot young thing reputation.

Sam Eley is Basil Crumbwick: Soul Sewage- Monkey Barrel 23:25

Sam and I started comedy around the same time and have gone on a similar journey, so I am keen to see how his style has changed. The Basil set up is mad- performing in a massive papier mache head- but I’ve heard such great things. We’re sharing a London preview on 14th July so I am excited to see it then, then also to see it in Edinburgh.

LIKE WHAT YOU JUST READ? FOLLOW US ON TWITTER! OR SIGN UP TO OUR MAILING LIST!

INTERESTED IN BEING INTERVIEWED TOO? CLICK HERE!

EdFringe Talk: Eleanor Morton: The Mermaid

Posted in *EdFestivals 2026, *Written Interviews by

“I always struggle with the resident/performer dichotomy. I hate how overwhelming town is when you’re just trying to get to the dentist, but on the other hand, it’s so exciting to have the whole world come to visit.”

WHO: Eleanor Morton

WHAT: “Fresh from her new show on BBC Radio 4, award-winning comedian Eleanor Morton returns with a show all about mermaids and why she wants to be one, even though she can’t swim. A show all about wanting to be beautiful, mythology, 2000s magazine sex tips, rat boyfriends, and James Cameron’s submarine. Justice for Nicola Roberts. Praise for 2024’s show Haunted House: ‘Belly laugh funny’ ****½ (Metro). **** (BeyondTheJoke.co.uk). **** (Skinny).”

WHERE: CabVol 1 at Monkey Barrel Comedy (Cabaret Voltaire) (Venue 338) 

WHEN: 13:00 (55 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

No – I’m from Edinburgh, so it’s my 9th hour of comedy and my 34th August of being alive.

I always struggle with the resident/performer dichotomy. I hate how overwhelming town is when you’re just trying to get to the dentist, but on the other hand, it’s so exciting to have the whole world come to visit.

I don’t think I’d do well as a visitor to Edinburgh. Staying 7 to a room in a shared flat in town for a month would drive me insane. I’m very lucky I have an Edinburgh outwith the Fringe I can retreat too.

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

I’ve learned it’s much easier to write a show about something your passionate about or keen on. I’ve also learned a lot about mermaids. Did you know, for example, that Christopher Columbus reported seeing some on his way to America? Or that Geoffrey Chaucer coined the phrase mermaid? Or that sirens actually used to be birds not fish?

I also learned about Melusine, a French serpent/fish lady who got caught in the bath and was so embarrassed she turned into a dragon and flew away. As you do.

Tell us about your show.

My show is called The Mermaid and it’s about cars. No, it’s about mermaids. It’s actually about wanting to be a mermaid as a child and why everyone is so obsessed with them.

My show is self-produced but my right hand woman is Julia Sneddon from Hare Brained Schemez who’s made some incredible props and costumes. She’s truly genius. Last time for my show Haunted House she made a beautiful and intricate haunted dolls house. It was so much better than I could ever have imagined.

I’ve been working on this show for two years because it turns out it’s much more mentally healthy than trying to squeeze out a brand new hour every year.

I don’t know where I’m taking the Mermaid afterwards – we’ll have to see!

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

You should definitely go and see everything in Monkey Barrel, it’s packed full of amazing acts, and really champions Scottish comedians.

I like to go and see Shakespeare for Breakfast because I used to go as a teenager so its nicely nostalgic.

My friend Sooz Kempner is very funny and insanely talented too.

LIKE WHAT YOU JUST READ? FOLLOW US ON TWITTER! OR SIGN UP TO OUR MAILING LIST!

INTERESTED IN BEING INTERVIEWED TOO? CLICK HERE!