“The title came to me, so I started thinking about how I could adapt the story using grapes as apes and corks as humans.”

WHO: Peter Michael Marino

WHAT: “American Astronaut George Taylor crash lands on a strange, distant planet ruled by speaking grapes, enslaving mute humans. He soon discovers the shocking truth about their warped world. Direct from its sell-out NYC premiere, this wildly reimagined time-travelling tale bursts with bunches of insane puppets, intergalactic irreverence and uncorked madness. Winner: The Infallibles Award for Creativity. ‘Astonishing! Unmissable!’ ***** (FringeBiscuit.co.uk). ‘Splendid! Riveting!’ **** (TheFrontRowCenter.com). ‘Completely bonkers and utterly brilliant!’ ****(BroadwayWorld.com).”

WHERE: Below at Pleasance Courtyard (Venue 33) 

WHEN: 12:20 (60 min)

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Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

This is my eighth Edinburgh Fringe. I think? My first was in the early 2000s. I was teaching comedy classes in London and a show I’d directed in NYC was opening at the festival, so I came to Edinburgh for a few days to tech the show and catch other shows. Honestly, after experiencing that madness, I never thought I’d come back. It just seemed so HUGE. Well … in 2012 I did come back with my solo show, “Desperately Seeking the Exit” with Free Festival at The Counting House – which (thankfully) was a critical hit. I returned in 2013 with the same show. I returned in 2015 with my talk show spoof, “Late with Lance,” while co-producing “Gary Busey’s One-Man Hamlet as Performed by David Carl” at Underbelly.

When I came back again in 2017, I debuted my new solo show that spoofed solo show shows called, “Show Up” – while also producing Jason Kravits’ improvised cabaret show “Off the Top.” The following year, I returned with “Show Up” plus the family-friendly version called “Show Up, Kids!” – which continues to play everywhere. Plus I was in “Joe’s NYC Bar” at Assembly. That was a monster of a year. During lockdown, I did live digital performances of “Planet of the Grapes” through Zoo, while also doing “Show Up, Kids!” through Free Festival. Crazy times! And last year I directed Michael Quinn’s “Feltman: World’s First Hit Dog” at Greenside, so I came for 10 days to tech that show. Then, the bug bit … and here I am for the eighth time.

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

Over the past 12 months I’ve been working hard on mental health stuff – mostly regulating anxiety, which is really coming in handy already here at EdFringe. It’s like, I’m doing the festival for the first time without this overriding sense of anxiety and dread that was my “fuel” the past few times I’ve done it. I’ve learned to go with the flow, trust my instincts, honor my emotions, and regulate them. I know this stuff is kind of deep for an interview about performing at the largest arts festival in the world, but I think if more folks examined what causes their anxiety and even depression, and then find ways to regulate that stuff, it just makes the festival so much more manageable and dare I say – FUN.

Tell us about your show.

My show “Planet of the Grapes” was written by yours truly. It was greatly inspired by the 1968 film “Planet of the Apes” starring Charlton Heston. I was obsessed with it as a kid and remained obsessed with it for much of my adult life. During lockdown, I spent a lot of time at Rockaway Beach just dreaming – and I started thinking about how the “Apes” film could be adapted for the stage. The title came to me, so I started thinking about how I could adapt the story using grapes as apes and corks as humans. I actually went to school to be a set designer, but abandoned that idea to become a lighting designer, and then abandoned that idea to focus on acting, directing, and producing. So after many months of lockdown and experimentation, we had a show which played online, live around the world for over 50 performances.

It almost seemed like a natural thing to then adapt that tiny table top show for a bigger stage, but still maintaining the elements of the table top. It’s actually a type of theater called Toy Theater, which began in the Victorian era where people would put on shows in their homes using cardboard kits with sets and characters they assembled. Since all we could do during lockdown was stay in our homes, I wanted people to get a visceral sense of being back in the theater. So we created a show that had the buzz of the audience before the show and an intermission and other kinds of things that you’d find in a traditional theater setting.

My director, Michole Biancosino was instrumental in helping me bring this vision to life. And we partnered up again to bring that vision to life on a larger stage. I don’t want to give too much away but a good portion of the show takes place on a tiny cutting board, but then it’s sort of leaps off the stage and becomes immersive and interactive. Michole actually directed “Show Up” and “Show Up, Kids!” We found that we had a really great working relationship. We both think outside the box since we both come from the indie theater world in NYC where limited time and budget are always a factor. We had also both worked with UK producer Richard Jordan on the “Gary Busey/Hamlet” show and loved working with him and the way he thinks, so we asked him to come on board as a producer for this, and now we find ourselves at Pleasance Courtyard ready to launch “Grapes” into the unknown.

We don’t know where it’s going after this. We’re hoping that the audiences and the festival itself and the promoters and bookers who come to the show will tell us the next step. But we definitely have a run of the show in New York City in our sightline for the future. It’s weird. It’s different. And it’s a ton of fun. And that’s something that people are really hungering for these days. I think folks are more drawn to “event theatre” than ever before and this is certainly an event. At least we hope it is!

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

If they are smitten by the Toy Theater bug, they should see “Tiny Planet” which also explores how we can sometimes feel both small and infinitely gigantic. “SeedHeart” which plays right before us comes out of a suitcase! I suggest “ArounD the WorlD in 80 ToyS, ” which uses cameras and miniatures. And Italo Calvino’s “Invisible Cities: A Toy Theater Atlas” which has puppetry and paper mechanics. And definitely “Kevin!!!!!” – another NYC show, that uses a mini house and cameras to parody “Home Alone.”

For non-toy theater shows, I suggest any of the shows from Darkfield which are all immersive; “The Bob Ross Effect” from Sarah-Louise Young – because she’s a solo performer and a genius; “Jeromaia Detto: Giuseppe’s Love Quest” because he’s a fantastic clown who you will fall in love with; and Chris Davis’ “The 40-Year Old Ballerino” because I saw it in Philly and was really moved by it while also laughing my butt off. Oh, and any of the shows from Dutch Kills and Recent Cutbacks – both NYC companies whose work always ignites my imagination. See free shows! See something you’d never see anywhere else. This festival offers the world in one month. Grab it.

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