Tag Archives: EdFringe

EdFringe Talk: How Not to Make it in America

Posted in *EdFestivals 2026, *Written Interviews by

“There’s probably a lesson in there somewhere but I have no idea what it is.”

WHO: Emily Steel

WHAT: “It’s 2001. A naive young Australian actor arrives in New York. One man plays twenty-eight characters in this heartbreakingly funny award-winning play about 9/11 and chasing your dreams. Twenty-five years after September 11 changed the world, performer James Smith transforms from a hopeful Aussie to a weary New York lawyer to a British compulsive liar (to name a few), in a fragmented story inspired by playwright Emily Steel’s real-life experiences. ‘Beautifully told, deeply resonant’ ***** (List). ‘Go see it and take all of your friends’ ***** (GlamAdelaide.com.au).”

WHERE: Former Gents Locker Room at Summerhall (Venue 26) 

WHEN: 21:20 (60 min)

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Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

It’s not my first time – my first time in Edinburgh was a long, long time ago when I was considering whether or not to apply to drama school. I came to Edinburgh as a performer in a show and had all the rite-of-passage experiences – audiences smaller than the cast, cringeworthy flyering, everyone falling out by the end of the season. I made a deal with myself that if I survived it and still wanted to be an actor I’d audition for drama school. I did survive it, did audition, went to drama school… then moved to New York three weeks before 9/11 with no plan and no work visa. Twenty years later I wrote a play about that experience and now I’m back in Edinburgh with that play, How Not to Make it in America. There’s probably a lesson in there somewhere but I have no idea what it is.

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

Everything is a roll of the dice. Everything. You just can’t know how things are going to play out – you can have the best plan in the world and then find yourself thrown into chaos by something completely unexpected. I think over the last twelve months I’ve got more comfortable with just doing things and seeing what happens.

Tell us about your show.

How Not to Make it in America is a funny, moving, one-man show about a naive, young Australian actor who moves to New York to try and make it there – but then 9/11 happens and he finds himself working illegally in a video store. I wrote it, it’s inspired by my own experiences back when I was a young, naive Welsh actor in New York, before I became a playwright and moved to Australia. It won the House of Oz Purse Prize at this year’s Adelaide Fringe and House of Oz is presenting it in Edinburgh with Theatre Republic, the independent South Australian company that commissioned it. Corey McMahon, who directed the show, commissioned it from me when he was Artistic Director of Theatre Republic, and we developed it with James Smith, the actor who plays the protagonist, Matt – and twenty-seven other characters. It premiered in Adelaide in 2001. Last year I took over as Artistic Director of Theatre Republic and brought How Not to Make it in America to this year’s Adelaide Fringe. It’s been nominated for the Fringe Encore Series at SoHo Playhouse in New York, and we’ll be over the moon if we can get it there next.

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

See everything brought over by House of Oz – including musical comedy Fuccbois, which won the Purse Prize at Adelaide Fringe along with How Not to Make it in America, and Ten Thousand Hours by Gravity and Other Myths, an astonishing circus company that’s come out of Adelaide. And see these shows by our fellow Adelaideans: Meteors by the CRAM Collective at Summerhall, and Dust by Charlaina Thompson at The Pleasance. They’re award-winning plays from the other side of the world, so go check them out!

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EdFringe Talk: Glob

Posted in *EdFestivals 2026, *Written Interviews by

“A great festival, for us, is one where you manage to keep both experiences alive at once : the wonder of the punter and the discipline of the producer.”

WHO: Jean-Félix Bélanger

WHAT: “Les Foutoukours return to Edinburgh with Glob, a circus adventure like no other! Without a single word, two lovable characters tumble, glide and soar through the unknown. Join them as they discover a world that is tender, magical and wonderfully absurd. They’ll make you laugh, gasp and cheer – all while tugging at your heart. For anyone who needs the world to slow down just a little, Glob is a wordless journey where emotion speaks louder than words. Perfect for all ages, it will delight and enchant audiences, young and old. Don’t miss this unforgettable ride!”

WHERE: McEwan Hall at Underbelly, Bristo Square (Venue 302) 

WHEN: 15:00 (60 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

This will be our fifth Fringe, though it’s the first time we’re bringing Glob! We first came in 2019 with Kombini, returned in 2022-23 with Brotipo, and then 2024 with Nova. Edfringe is a festival we know quite well by now, and honestly, it’s a little addictive: the energy, the joy of seeing old friends again, the chance to be inspired by productions of remarkable quality. That said, our relationship to the festival has changed a lot depending on which hat we’re wearing. As punters, you can lose yourself completely in the jungle of it all, chasing every recommendation and staying out late.

As producers, you have to be far more careful about costs, your own energy, your mental health. With Glob we spent two years preparing: finding the right venue, building the right partnership with Underbelly, and making sure our risk-taking was measured and considered. A great festival, for us, is one where you manage to keep both experiences alive at once : the wonder of the punter and the discipline of the producer.

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

I don’t know if I’ve absorbed that lesson yet…I’m still trying to find the balance between doubt and confidence. This past year was full of touring existing shows around the world, alongside new productions and a fresh creation project. Despite all our experience, doubt still creeps in. The irrational fear that audiences won’t connect, or that our careers could suddenly stop. And yet we work incredibly hard, obsessing over every detail, because we’re artists, directors, creators, agents, and more, all at once. In the end, that care gets recognised, and things go well wherever we go. But you need to keep a little doubt, a little humility, it’s what pushes you to improve. So for Fringe 2026, especially with a show we’ve performed 260 times, the goal is finding that balance: trusting the work while keeping just enough stress to give our best.

Tell us about your show.

Glob is created and performed by the two of us, myself and Rémi Jacques, co-directors of Les Foutoukours. Rémi founded the company in 1997 to explore movement and rhythm through original productions rooted in commedia dell’arte and physical performance, and I joined as his partner in 2013; together we’ve since created six distinct productions, of which Glob is our fifth. The idea was born from a trip to Norway in 2018, where we witnessed the midnight sun in Harstad and were struck by its stillness and softness. We spent three and a half years finding the right rhythm to translate that feeling into a wordless clown show built on circus discipline, piano, and gentleness. Glob premiered in 2019 and has been touring ever since, having already visited ten countries and clocked over 260 performances, so this Edinburgh run is very much a continuation of an existing life for the show rather than a debut. After the Fringe, Glob keeps travelling! We will have the chance to visit the west of Canada, Norway, Sweden and Danmark, and we’re always looking for the next place, and the next audience, to share it with.

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

Go straight to the circus programme, honestly, that’s always our first instinct too. We can’t wait to catch the new show from our friends at Yuck Circus. They were our neighbours backstage at the Fringe back in 2019, and their all-Australian, multi-award-winning energy is completely infectious. We’ll also be squeezing in Tweedy’s Massive Solo Show, a very different style of clowning to ours, but with the kind of physical mastery and warmth that makes it unmissable for all ages. Please go see Revel Puck Circus for us, we perform at the same time so we will miss it… We saw them in 2024, it’s exactly the kind of joyful, community-minded circus the Fringe needs more of.

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EdFringe Talk: Tale of the Firebird – Concerto for Violin, Fire & Acrobatic Orchestra

Posted in *EdFestivals 2026, *Written Interviews by

“I often remind myself – hey, if these are my toughest decisions today, then I’m incredibly fortunate compared to a lot of people in the world.”

WHO: Sonja Schebeck

WHAT: “Classical precision meets circus adrenaline in this genre-bending re-imagining of a violin concerto composed by Chloé Charody for The Freestyle Orchestra. Each musician doubles as an acrobat, uniting classical mastery, theatrical storytelling and breathtaking circus – where virtuosity literally takes flight. The whimsical, fairytale-like narrative traces the legend of the Phoenix – a mythical creature with the ability to be reborn through flame. This story of resistance and renewal underpins pertinent global themes, erupting with one of humanity’s greatest weapons against oppression: hope.”

WHERE: Central at Assembly Roxy (Venue 139) 

WHEN: 18:15 (60 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

We did a part-run at Edinburgh Fringe in 2024 with a smaller-scale show, LIMBO: Sonata for Acrobatic Violinist & Acrobat (also featuring music by Chloé Charody), but this is our first time with The Freestyle Orchestra bringing a production of this scale with 12 artists.

It’s such a special vibe in Edinburgh during Fringe with so many diverse and incredible artists, and the audiences are absolutely wonderful – it’s this unique atmosphere were it feels like both the artists and audiences alike are on a huge adrenaline rush! The city itself becomes a venue, and with so many shows densely packed, it makes it entirely possible to see a huge range of art-forms and to be both a producer and a punter in one season.

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

I think the main thing I’ve learnt is that there’s not really a single way to do Fringe! We have been planning this season for a good part of the last 12 months, and for a lot of that there are seemingly endless decisions, differing opinions, a stream of deadlines etc. which can feel like a lot. I often remind myself – hey, if these are my toughest decisions today, then I’m incredibly fortunate compared to a lot of people in the world. For me, helpful things were early planning in regards to venue, funding applications and budgeting, getting advice from people we trust, and being clear about why we want to do Fringe and what the goals are. Still, I’m definitely learning a lot – which is also great!

Tell us about your show.

Tale of the Firebird reimagines a virtuosic violin concerto as a fully embodied theatrical experience. It was composed by long-time collaborator Chloé Charody and created and produced by The Freestyle Orchestra, an ensemble with a defining twist: each musician is also a highly skilled circus artist – often performing both disciplines at once. We blend live instrumental performance with aerial arts, dynamic group acrobatics with instruments, fire eating and fire spinning, contemporary dance, physical theatre, and aerial harp. For us, these disciplines are all intrinsic elements of the score.

Suited to audiences of all ages and backgrounds, the show unfolds as a vivid, fairytale-like, deconstructed narrative tracing the legend of the Phoenix, the mythical creature with the ability to be reborn through flame. Looking deeper, a story of resilience and renewal speaks to urgent global realities and to the enduring power of one of humanity’s greatest weapons against oppression: hope.

The work originally premiered at City Recital Hall during Sydney’s VIVID Sydney in 2019, but now we’re incredibly excited to be premiere a brand-new production at Fringe 2026, plus an upcoming appearance at the Salieri Circus Award in Italy later this year. It’s bigger, bolder and more theatrical than ever, and we’re pretty sure audiences can expect something they’ve probably never seen before.

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

We’re definitely looking forward to checking out YUCK circus’ new show “Naughties” – the company are such legends who we were fortunate to meet at the West Australian Circus Festival in early 2020, and their new show looks like an absolute riot!

In Common by One Fell Swoop also looks beautiful.

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EdFringe Talk: Friendliest

Posted in *EdFestivals 2026, *Written Interviews by

“Taking a show to the Edinburgh Fringe costs more than my college education… which, in hindsight, explains why my student loans never taught me about flyering. Bummer!”

WHO: Drew Lausch

WHAT: “Drew Lausch grew up gay in Fargo, North Dakota. So he did what any emotionally stable teenager would do: invented the world’s first gay superhero. Years later, he’s still trying to save himself. Friendliest is a dark, funny and quietly devastating solo show about first love, small-town repression and the creative impulse to rewrite your own origin story. Blending biting stand-up with raw storytelling, Drew unpacks the boy he hurt, the hero he built, and the mess in between. It’s sharp, intimate and occasionally feral. Written and performed by Drew Lausch. Directed by Jenny Leon.”

WHERE: Nook at Gilded Balloon Teviot (Venue 14) 

WHEN: 18:00 (60 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

The last time I was at the Edinburgh Fringe, I was an 18-year-old closeted musical theatre kid, secretly in love with the boy this show is based on. I spent most of that trip trying to fit into someone else’s idea of who I should be. This year I’m coming back with a one-man show that’s about finally telling the truth. That’s a pretty surreal full-circle moment.

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

The biggest lesson I’ve learned over the past year is that taking a show to the Edinburgh Fringe costs more than my college education… which, in hindsight, explains why my student loans never taught me about flyering. Bummer!

I’ve also learned that making a great show is only half the job. You can write the funniest, most personal hour in the world, but if no one knows it exists, you’re basically performing for a very supportive lighting technician. PR isn’t the glamorous part of comedy, but it’s essentia

l. I’ve gained a whole new appreciation for the people who help artists find their audiences.

The other lesson is that writing a show is nowhere near as hard as finishing one. I used to think once I’d written the script, I was done. Instead, I’ve spent the last year cutting jokes I loved, rewriting scenes that weren’t working, finding new emotional beats, and learning that every performance teaches you something the page never could.

Have I absorbed these lessons? Ask me after Edinburgh! I’m still learning as I write this!

Tell us about your show.

The show actually started as an hour of stand-up comedy. As Jenny and I kept developing it, we realized the story wanted something bigger. It evolved into a hybrid of stand-up, theatrical storytelling, and a one-man play, using comedy as the entry point into much more vulnerable territory.

Growing up, I was completely obsessed with comic books and superheroes. They were the first stories that made me believe ordinary people could survive impossible things. So when I started writing about my own life, growing up queer in North Dakota, addiction, first love, and the search for identity, it made sense to frame it through the lens of creating the world’s first gay superhero. Throughout the show, the audience watches me pitch that superhero while my real life keeps interrupting the fantasy.

Before Edinburgh, we’ve been fortunate enough to develop and perform Friendliest in New York, Los Angeles, and Atlanta, allowing the show to grow with every audience. We also recently took the television pilot adaptation to the ATX Television Festival, where we pitched the series to industry professionals. That experience reinforced what we’ve believed from the beginning: Friendliest isn’t just a stage show, it has the DNA of an ongoing television series.

After Edinburgh, the goal is to keep building the project on both fronts. We want to continue refining and pitching the television pilot while pursuing an Off-Broadway run in New York and an Off West End production in London. Every version of Friendliest, whether it’s onstage or on television, is trying to do the same thing: tell an honest, funny story about finding your identity in a world that keeps trying to write it for you.

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

If you’re at the festival, there are a few shows I genuinely think are doing really interesting work and are worth your time.

The Yellow Wallpaper by Caitlin Ort and Megan Ort is a really smart, unsettling adaptation that takes something literary and makes it feel immediate and alive onstage. The writing is sharp, atmospheric, and really confident in how it leans into tension without over-explaining itself.

I Almost Died For This by Kristina Libby is another one I’d strongly recommend. It’s funny in that very specific way where you’re laughing and then suddenly realizing you’ve been emotionally ambushed. The storytelling is precise, self-aware, and really well structured.

I’d also shout out Jenny Gorlelick, whose work has this great mix of sharp comedy and emotional honesty. It feels very present-tense and alive, like you’re watching someone actively figure something out in real time.

And Brendan Scannell’s The Abyss is exactly the kind of festival show I love—big comedic voice, emotionally risky, and completely unafraid to sit in uncomfortable truths while still being really funny.

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Bedfringe 2026 Interview: Hasta La Vista… Bibby!

Posted in *Written Interviews, Bedfringe 2026 by

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“Rumours circulate that I only do Bedfringe because I was born in Bedford and only add this tour date as an excuse for a sesh with my old school mates. Poppycock. Bedford is the Las Vegas of the East of England.”

WHO: Dave Bibby

WHAT: “Amused Moose Edinburgh Comedy Award winner, Dave Bibby, is heading Back To The Future!

Join Bedford-born Bibby in a one-man Hollywood blockbuster. A journey in a Delorean through some of the greatest movies ever made. Along the way, the audience helps shape the show, contributing sound effects, lines, and key moments—each performance unpredictable and unique.

When this Bibby hits 88mph you’re gonna see some serious sh*t.”

WHERE: Quarry Theatre

WHEN: 26 July 2026 @ 18:30 (60mins)

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Is this your first time to Bedfringe?

I am coming back to Bedfringe following my 2023 [ahem] award-winning show BABY DINOSAUR. This time though, it is not an Edinburgh preview, but a FINISHED show. Now I just need to remember it!

Rumours circulate that I only do Bedfringe because I was born in Bedford and only add this tour date as an excuse for a sesh with my old school mates. Poppycock. Bedford is the Las Vegas of the East of England and all comedians want to soak up the atmosphere. And what an atmosphere! My shows are massively interactive and semi-improvised so I need these audiences – Bedford crowds always get involved. I can’t wait. The countdown is on! We’re counting down from 10 but if you’re from Northampton join in at 2.

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

Since my last show I have chucked custard pies at Ant & Dec live on Britain’s Got Talent, fronted a TV campaign for Rangemaster ovens and doubled down on my unique style of madcap comedy.

Which is the opposite of learning lessons – this show is even more unpredictable than the last. No one knows what’s gonna happen, and if you don’t buy a ticket you never will!

Tell us about your show.

‘Hasta La Vista…BIBBY!’ is a love letter to cinema. A one-man Hollywood Blockbuster.

This is the opposite of those ‘what do you do for a living?’ comedians you see on TikTok. It is live and unpredictable. The audience will play parts in the movie, contribute sound effects and help shape the outcome of the night – each performance unpredictable and unique.

This is my most ambitious show yet – it dives into the chaotic, creative mind of someone with inattentive ADHD. It begins as an attempt to perform Back to the Future but quickly derails as distractions, temptations, and random thoughts take us on a journey through beloved films like Ghostbusters, Star Wars, and Labyrinth.

The question at its heart: would you go back in time and tell your childhood self that you are different?

This show celebrates the richness of neurodiverse thinking and live performance, incorporating audience participation in ways that can only be achieved on stage, making each performance one-of-a-kind. It thrives on the spontaneity and creativity of festivals like Bedfringe. Tbf I also said that about Brighton Fringe, Leicester and Edinburgh. But Bedfringe has always been my favourite. Promise.

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

Definitely check out The Vampire Run. Big Jonny Laury told me about this when he was developing the idea and it sounds exactly like the kind of thing we should be seeing at arts festivals.

We all love Max Fulham as well, don’t we? I did superLOLs at his last show about ham so no doubt this one will be even better and should provide more culinary meats.

Straight after me is Best of Castle Comedy. Great promoter, great acts, great way to close the festival. I think they have Josh Pugh and Angela Barnes on. Class.

I also saw one lad who’s main poster image was mostly a picture of his bicep. I would like to see that arm up close. Can’t remember his name but what a poster.

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EdFringe Talk: Father, Away She Goes

Posted in *EdFestivals 2026, *Written Interviews by

“I was blown away by the beauty of Edinburgh and I also met so many fabulous people; audience members fellow performers, it was completely absorbing.”

WHO: Electra Kolb

WHAT: “Introducing Sarah Jones – ‘A masterclass in the love-to-hate character. Think Succession. Think Fleabag, with teeth’ (Scotsman). A narcissist, compulsive liar and failed art-school hopeful, Sarah is exiled from the family home and stumbles her way through a farcical nightmare of parties, lies and fractured relationships. As her ambition curdles into something darker, she is pushed towards a final, devastating twist. So ask yourself – how far would you go to achieve your dream…? ‘Funny, ferocious and devastatingly controlled, it’s an impressive star-is-born debut’ ***** (FringeBiscuit.com). ‘A tour de force’ ****½ (One4Review.co.uk).”

WHERE: Playground 1 at ZOO Playground (Venue 186) 

WHEN: 16:30 (60 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

This will be my second visit to the Fringe. Last year I brought my production Father, Away She Goes up for a one-week run and oh my god it was such an amazing experience, by far the most exhilarating festival experience I’ve ever had! For starters the location; I was blown away by the beauty of Edinburgh and I also met so many fabulous people; audience members fellow performers, it was completely absorbing. I think the community is what makes Ed Fringe so special – it’s the people you meet! It’s also very slick and well organized despite its size, the organizers are superheroes!

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

Flyering is essential!! Not just for promoting your show, but for all the interesting people you will meet. And for this year, I am already mentally preparing myself to flyer like there’s no tomorrow!

Tell us about your show.

Father, Away She Goes is a bold, caustic tragicomedy by Electra Kolb that asks how far you would go to achieve your dream. Written and first performed at just 17, Kolb’s play is a fearlessly comedic interrogation into female ambition and the cultural discomfort surrounding it. Why are ambitious women still labelled ‘too much’, while men are celebrated as leaders? Why is female ruthlessness treated as something shameful rather than powerful? The protagonist, Sarah Jones embodies these tensions in their most extreme form; consumed by desperation, she is a 21st century Lady Macbeth whose drive to succeed overrides morality, loyalty and even self-preservation. Masterfully directed by Sophie Pierpoint and backed by her production house, Pierpoint Productions, the outrageous visceral in-your-face comedy promises to make audiences gasp and cover their faces in delighted horror. Teamed with Creative Director India Scarlet Kolb, and lighting designer Nikita Matthews, this creative team came together through their shared love of storytelling and commitment to championing young voices.

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

One Man Poe is an excellent solo-show at Greenside venues which I will definitely be seeing this year!

Sodom, The Quintessence of Debauchery at SpaceUK is a Cabaret farce and burlesque show which is on my must-watch list for this Fringe run – it sounds hilarious and outrageous!

David Willian Bryan – In Loyal Company is another one-man play at Pleasance which sounds incredibly moving and powerful, and I cannot wait to watch this!

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EdFringe Talk: Black Blues Brothers: Let’s Twist Again!

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“Life is unpredictable… and so is live performance!”

WHO: Bilal Musa Huka

WHAT: “Fringe favourites the Black Blues Brothers return with their electrifying, family-friendly show. Having wowed over 65,000 Fringe spectators, they are back at McEwan Hall, ready to amaze audiences once again. Set in a smoky train station and driven by an unforgettable rock’n’roll soundtrack, expect jaw-dropping acrobatics, towering human pyramids and gravity-defying stunts. Featuring iconic music by Glenn Miller, Elvis Presley and Aretha Franklin, this is the ultimate experience for all ages. After five smash-hit Fringe seasons and appearances at the Royal Variety Show and the Moulin Rouge, this feel-good phenomenon is truly unmissable.”

WHERE: McEwan Hall at Underbelly, Bristo Square (Venue 302) 

WHEN: 17:00 (60 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

This will be our sixth time at the Fringe, and we’re just as excited as we were the first time!
We have some great successes under our belts: in previous years, our first show earned standing ovations every day and rave reviews. Last year, with Let’s Twist Again!, we moved to a larger venue — the beautiful McEwan Hall — and the success was even greater, with packed houses and 5-star reviews.

And yet, the adrenaline is always there: the Fringe is the best festival in the world, and we can’t wait to go back!

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

Life is unpredictable… and so is live performance!

We’ve been touring the world for years now, but the old saying about live shows – that every performance is different – is true. The audience changes, and so do we. That’s not a bad thing; in fact, it’s the best part: we take the stage and share something unique and special with the audience. And they respond with incredible affection. The lesson is: prepare as much as you can, but then just enjoy the moment.

Tell us about your show.

Let’s Twist Again! was written by our artistic director, Alexander Sunny, a professor of circus history and one of Europe’s leading circus experts.

The idea was to build on the path we started with our first show, The Black Blues Brothers: combining the virtuosity of the African acrobatic tradition (we are from Kenya) with Western pop culture to create a contemporary circus show for the whole family.

This time, the setting is a train station waiting room; thanks to a jukebox playing twist and rock ‘n’ roll, we launch into increasingly complex acrobatic routines, using everything around us, from chairs… to railway crossings!

At its heart, the show is all about fun and wonder.

We come from a social circus school in Nairobi called Sarakasi, and through this show, we share the joy we feel when performing acrobatics with the audience.

Taking it to the Fringe last year was a blast. The whole audience was dancing along with us!

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

The first show that comes to mind is Wolf by Circa. They are one of the best companies around, and that show is perfect. Contemporary circus at its peak!

We’re also going to see Afronauts. Not just because the performers are African like us, but because it’s a blend of circus and space adventure. What more could you ask for?

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EdFringe Talk: The Second Best School Shooting

Posted in *EdFestivals 2026, *Written Interviews by

“While this show isn’t inherently about the vileness of men, I do consider the piece a sparkly little jar of female rage. :)”

WHO: Alice Stanley Jr.

WHAT: “Two best friends struggle to process surviving a school shooting that is overshadowed by a much worse school shooting on the same day. A dark comedy about America’s traumatized, despondent, yet somehow hilarious youth. Developed with hundreds of students, teachers, and survivors whose gallows humour helps them cope with the United States’ gun violence epidemic. Written by former US public school teacher Alice Stanley Jr and directed by Riley Rose Critchlow. ‘Captivating, provocative, inspiring’ (Executive Producer Adam McKay – All the Empty Rooms, Succession, The Big Short, Step Brothers).”

WHERE: Baby Grand at Pleasance Courtyard (Venue 33) 

WHEN: 12:45 (60 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

I actually had the mindblowingly lucky opportunity to be in a Fringe play when I was just 18. That experience opened my eyes to what art can and should be. I still remember every single weird show I saw. I was totally taken by how even odd, poorly-funded plays in crummy spaces could impact audiences as much as the “prestige” productions. So The Second Best School Shooting premiering at Fringe is a real full-circle moment for me.

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

Keeping it light, I think a lot of us have learned that the men who run the world are even more selfish and vile than we’d previously thought. And I’d previously thought the men who run the world were pretty selfish and vile. So, hats off, vile men! You surprised even me!

Have I fully absorbed this lesson yet? I’m not sure. I’m probably, like many women, still a bit in shock. But I am also very angry. And I feel more determined than ever to explore/express that anger. While this show isn’t inherently about the vileness of men, I do consider the piece a sparkly little jar of female rage. 🙂

Tell us about your show.

I first wrote this show in 2022, inspired by my experiences as a United States public school teacher. My goal was to create something for and about young people that portrayed how they actually talk about school shootings. I noticed the way adults, even our politicians, discussed school shootings was “respectful”…but often ignorant, considering my students mostly processed their dread with dark humor.

As you can imagine, a comedy about school shootings isn’t the easiest commercial sell! A dozen or so premieres heartbreakingly fell apart over the years due to political roadblocks or producers simply getting cold feet. Finally, producer Jessica Green Harrison (Holler If Ya Hear Me) got hold of the script, loved it, and suggested debuting at Fringe–with literal distance from the inherent American taboos of the piece. Adam McKay (The Big Short, All the Empty Rooms), a longtime champion of the show, agreed. It felt like a nuts dream come true when Alison Zatta (Chriskirkpatrickmas, Beth Wants the D) and Hollywood icon Matthew Lillard, who related to the piece as a father of Gen Zs, hopped on too.

Of course, I’d love The Second Best School Shooting to find more life post-festival. Because I’ve developed the piece with hundreds of students and survivors, I know it (tragically) relates to almost every young person in the US. So I am hoping to find regional opportunities for the show, including but also beyond big cities like NYC and LA. That said, commercial viability aside, this project is first and foremost meant to serve young people. I intentionally wrote the script so underfunded actors could reasonably self-produce the show, and I currently allow for royalty-free educational productions.

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

I’ve got to shout out the improvised musical Baby Wants Candy for some good old-fashioned stupid fun. I’ll be sneaking away from my playwright post and occasionally popping onto shows with them throughout the fest.

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EdFringe Talk: You Come From a Long Line of Shallow People

Posted in *EdFestivals 2026, *Written Interviews by

“Don’t push… but do absolutely work your ass off.”

WHO: Joanne Green

WHAT: “This is a one-person stand-up comedy show about my mother who died recently. She was hilarious, beautiful, brilliant and brutal. I loved my mom but we never got along. We never really liked each other. I wrote this show to find the the places where my mom had loved me but I refused to notice. I wrote this show to celebrate my mom’s fabulous sense of style, her humour and intelligence and, despite her own demons, her deep desire to have her kids be substantial and happy people.”

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

WHEN: 13:20 (55 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

This is my first Edinburgh Fringe experience and I cannot wait! I know I’m gonna fall in love with Edinburgh because everyone I talk to says you can’t help it. The castles, the cobblestones..the ACCENT!! My friend Mark said there’s something I HAVE to taste this dish called Cullen Skink and it sounds terrifying but I’ll try it anyway because this trip is all about THE UNKNOWN!! I’m producing and performing my show and as a total beginner to the Festival circuit I’m practicing ‘beginners mind,’ so y’know trying to just go with the flow and see it all as meant to be which isn’t easy for a gal like me. I like that my last line rhymed, I think I’ll stop there.

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

Biggest lesson: Don’t push… but do absolutely work your ass off. I was going to try and come here last year with a torn meniscus and on crutches – because I’m crazy (good for comedy) and I can’t say no to a challenge – but I’m very glad my friends had a mini intervention and told me flat out I was crazy so I skipped last year for THIS year! Another lesson I keep learning and re-learning is to keep it all fun. I’m a comedian but I can get super intense and serious and just blow the fun right out of things and I have tried hard to remember that the point of my whole piece is about expressing and sharing JOY!!

Tell us about your show.

My show is about my mom and the very rocky relationship I had with her up until the end of her almost 95 year old life. She was beautiful, brilliant and brutal. And oh, yeah…HILARIOUS! She had a line for everything. The title of my show comes from when I told my mom once I thought I was ‘shallow” and without missing a beat, she says, “Oh Joanne, you come from a long line of shallow people!” I knew right then I wanted to write a show about her! I wrote this piece after my mom died as a way to honor her memory – her humor, her fabulous sense of style, her incredible strength – and to see if I could find a way to understand and even feel the love that actually did exist between us but was impossible for either of us to express. I hope that a lot of people can relate to my story and I really hope my show gets to travel to other places after Edinburgh!! I started my career in NYC and I would love to go back!!

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

Okay, after you see my show there are three people at Fringe that I really can’t wait to see. Number one is Lara Ricote in her show, INKLING. My daughter turned me onto her and she’s fabulous. I have watched her on YouTube and I cannot wait to see her live. She is original, inventive, hilarious, wild, honest and so crazy charming. Number two: Winnie Stack’s “@Jenna” is another must see for me. I don’t know her work well but I did work with her dad when we were both babies in our early twenties (in acting class together and then the Groundlings in LA) and if Winnie is half as insanely funny as her dad she’s going to kill it. And lastly, my guy Gianmarco Soresi, who is wildly popular right now so he doesn’t really need my plug but I just love him. . Go watch “Thief of Joy” on YouTube, it’s free and he is brilliant. I cannot wait wait wait to see him LIVE!!!

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EdFringe Talk: Mark Vigeant: OUT THERE

Posted in *EdFestivals 2026, *Written Interviews by

“I leave Edinburgh a funnier comedian, a better actor, and a humbler more inspired human. I also get my ass kicked and that’s important.”

WHO: Mark Vigeant

WHAT: “From comedian Mark Vigeant (whose last Fringe hour became a special on Dropout TV) comes a wildly inventive character-comedy hour. Meet Larry: a burnt-out engineer on a mission to gain fame by livestreaming a survival adventure from the Alaskan wilderness. Armed with a camera, unshakeable optimism and questionable survival skills, he livestreams his journey into the wild. But when the wilderness pushes back, his mission spirals into chaos. Blending live video, immersive tech and fearless clowning, OUT THERE is a hilarious, unpredictable descent into ambition, delusion and the things we do to prove our lives matter.”

WHERE: Downstairs at Assembly Roxy (Venue 139) 

WHEN: 17:20 (60 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

This will be my fourth consecutive year bringing a show to Edinburgh Fringe! But this is the first time I’m bringing *this* particular show. It takes a lot to get there from Los Angeles, but I keep coming back because it’s the only place in the world I can perform the outrageous, interactive, emotional, ridiculous shows I create every single day and expect anybody to come. I leave Edinburgh a funnier comedian, a better actor, and a humbler more inspired human. I also get my ass kicked and that’s important.

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

Big lesson: the artist’s career is non-linear.
Have I absorbed this? Not one bit.

Big lesson: Anything worth doing is worth doing badly.
Have I absorbed this? Hell no.

Huge f*cking lesson: Rest is a requirement, not a reward.
Have I absorbed this? Dude my eye is literally twitching from exhaustion as I type this.

Tell us about your show.

My show is called OUT THERE: It’s about a guy who travels to the wilderness of Alaska so he can make a YouTube video about surviving on his own, except he doesn’t really know what he’s doing – and the audience plays the wilderness. And the whole entire time I have a camera strapped to my chest that’s live-streaming everything I see to the projector. It’s really big and messy and outrageous and emotional and tragic, and I absolutely love it.

This is the 3rd solo show I’ve worked on with my director Joanna Simmons – my last show, The Best Man Show, was one of the best reviewed shows at Fringe last year and is now a special on Dropout TV. I came up with this show as I was preparing to go on a big Fringe tour and I was running out of money. To me, it’s about the tension and intensity of trying to be a working artist, the modern battle between nature and tech, and repression vs expression.

After Edinburgh, I want to tour the US before I bring it to Adelaide Fringe next year.

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

I’m a huge fan of the “Underground Monk Show,” also at Assembly. They’re some of the greatest, silliest, stupidest clowns out there. My friend Soleil Kohl has a really fun interactive clown show at The Space called “Don’t Kill Daisy” that is totally different every time. Sam Morrison’s show DUCK at Gilded Balloon is hysterical. Johnnie McNamara Walker’s show “The Heterosexuals” at Gilded Balloon is an extremely tight, funny, beautiful storytelling show. Daniel Noddler’s “Only Bones” also at Assembly Roxy is delightful physical theater. So fun and whimsical. I love Chris Grace, he has a new show going up at Assembly in one of the studios.

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