“I’ve learned to embrace the experience more fully. Last time, I was so focused on ticket sales, reviewers, and the nerves of performance that I didn’t give myself enough space to enjoy being part of the wider festival.”
WHO: Jennifer Irons
WHAT: “It’s a roller disco about immigration. Obvs. Jennifer Irons, a UK immigrant from Canada, is told after Brexit to “go home”. But she hasn’t lived there in 25 years, and the kicker: Canada doesn’t want her either. Apparently, she’s too old, too broke and not sporty enough? Channeling her childhood hero, ‘Canada’s sweetheart’ Elizabeth Manley, Jennifer straps on roller skates and dives helmet-first into a glittering world of freewheeling misfits. With German techno, dancing salmon and absurd humour, award-winning choreographer and dancer Jennifer embarks on a chaotic, darkly surreal quest through colonialism, identity and the search for belonging.”
WHERE: Studio Two at Assembly George Square Studios (Venue 17)
WHEN: 15:35 (60 min)
MORE: Click Here!
Is this your first time to Edinburgh?
No, we love Edinburgh – and Scotland in general. I actually first came here within a couple of weeks of landing in the UK. I remember taking an overnight bus and waking up just as the sun was rising over the castle. It felt cinematic – like I’d stumbled into a movie. That first impression has always stayed with me.
The Fringe itself is indescribable. Everyone tries to pin down what makes it so special, but I think part of the magic is that you can’t. I call it a gameshow where no one knows the rules or what the grand prize is, but we’re all (shows and audiences) playing our hearts out. It’s a kaleidoscope of experiences: I have memories of drinking cocktails out of a skull, accidentally injuring the ref during an arm-wrestling competition, bumping into a Royal as they casually stepped out their helicopter and hearing bagpipes on a mountaintop. Cliché, yes, but unforgettable when it happens in real life. I grew up as a Highland dancer, so hearing bagpipes played just on the street felt like a wild flashback.
Festivals, and the Fringe in particular, are both exhilarating and exhausting. As a punter, it’s endless discovery: one moment you’re watching a singing pirate dinosaur, the next you’re weeping at a heartfelt story about a shark (that turned out to be about a father / son relationship). As a performer, it’s a marathon. You work so hard to make the show you want, but it only truly comes alive when you share it with audiences. Their reactions complete the work, and performing night after night for a month is when the real magic happens.
What are the big things you’ve learned since 2024 and have you absorbed any of the lessons yet?
Haha! Have I?! If I’m honest, I’m a slow learner. It’s taken five years to make this new show, and part of me wonders if I’ve learned anything at all – if I had, maybe I wouldn’t be back! That said, I’ve definitely realised that doing 22 shows in a row is probably not going to happen these days. 7 is a good number.
More importantly, I’ve learned to embrace the experience more fully. Last time, I was so focused on ticket sales, reviewers, and the nerves of performance that I didn’t give myself enough space to enjoy being part of the wider festival. This year, I want to balance being a performer with being a punter, to celebrate the joy of being around other artists. As an independent maker, you often work alone, so to suddenly be surrounded by a community of creatives is energising – it really fills the well.
Tell us about your show.
The show was conceived after my last Fringe, when a reviewer wrote about how my work resonated with their experience as an immigrant. That planted the seed. The piece is mostly written by me, but our director, Tom Roden of New Art Club, insists I acknowledge that the funny bits are his. Working with Tom has been awesome. I actually emailed New Art Club straight out of dance school, asking if I could ever be their support act, so collaborating 20 years later feels pretty cool.
I’ve brought together long-time collaborators like composer Stew Baxter (Life Band), dramaturg Lou Cope, and designer Lucy Hansom, alongside new collaborators like projection designer Harshi Karunaratne, whose approach to starting with the body before layering in tech resonated deeply with me. I stalked them on Instagram. I have been fortunate to collaborate with artists exploring identity; Majid Dhana and Sophie Passmore. The conversations around immigrant/ indigenous/ settler have been incredible. We’ve also had input from cognitive anthropologist/ cultural psychologist Dr. Martha Newson, whose research into group identity and belonging helped ground the show’s themes, while Tom ensured we approached heavy ideas with humour and joy.
The show itself is part-documentary, part-roller disco. It explores the absurd expectations placed on immigrants; often to be “better” than everyone else– through the equally absurd lens of trying to become a championship roller skater. It’s glitter, rhinestones, and a banging soundtrack, but underneath, it’s about community, belonging, and questioning the systems that ‘other’ people. We’ve previewed the piece twice and are touring it to Cities of Sanctuary across the UK. Alongside the show, I run Skates4Mates, a project that provides skates, gear, and lessons for people seeking sanctuary. That community work has given the show even more meaning and taken it beyond being “about me.”
What should your audience see at the festivals after they’ve seen your show?
Definitely check out A&E Comedy’s “Do All The Things” – it’s wild, joyful, and unexpectedly moving. I laughed, disco-danced, hugged a tree, and, yes, got pegged by a stranger (which was more fun than it sounds!).
I also recommend Vic Melody’s “Bubble Double Trouble Bubble and Squeak” – Vic always creates work that’s funny, tender, and surprising.
And I’ll be going to see Ontroerend Goed because they scared the crap out of me last time, and clearly I didn’t learn my lesson about cramming too many shows into the schedule! I’ll be on the hunt for dinosaur pirates too.
Supporting fellow artists is part of the joy of the Fringe.
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