Tag Archives: EdFringe

EdFringe Talk: Troubled

Posted in *EdFestivals 2025, *Written Interviews by

“I’ve been lots of times as a punter and seen some lifechanging pieces of storytelling, as well as totally bizarre expressions of art.”

WHO: Suzy Crothers

WHAT: “1993, Mum won’t let Alice go to Funderland because Belfast is burning. ‘How about Robin Hood, Prince of Thieves and Chinese chicken balls instead?’ 2018, Alice falls for Tim, but can she escape the legacy of a childhood shaped by conflict or will everything blow-up in her face? A tale of love, death and division – told with tea and biscuits. Troubled blends story, projection and humour, reckoning with the past and offering hope for the future. ‘An excitingly honest depiction of the power of human connection, told with daring vulnerability’ (Haley McGee, Olivier Nominee, Fringe First Winner 2022).”

WHERE: Anatomy Lecture Theatre at Summerhall (Venue 26) 

WHEN: 11:45 (60 min)

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Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

This is my Edinburgh debut and i’m simultaneously nervous and excited – are they both two sides of the same coin? I’ve been lots of times as a punter and seen some lifechanging pieces of storytelling, as well as totally bizarre expressions of art. I love the vibrancy of the festival and that you can see whatever you want, pretty much 24hrs a day. Taking my work here has been a deeply held desire for the last 12 years and i’m so pleased that this year i can be a part of this big magic thing. i get to do the thing for 24 whole shows! It will be exciting to see how ‘Troubled’ meets audiences at this time, plus i’m looking forward to meeting audiences. I love the unpredictability of it all.

What are the big things you’ve learned since 2024 and have you absorbed any of the lessons yet?

Hmmm. Just keep on keeping on. Like i said, i’ve wanted to do Edinburgh for a really long time, and getting everything together, plus the show has been a massive learning curve. I nearly chucked in the towel in 2023 because the challenges to getting this work out there felt almost insurmountable. But i’m lucky to have an amazing team and development funding came through for us. Also, the test audiences we’ve had have kept me going, their words of encouragement and their reactions. Huge shout out to Maria and the wonderful community cafe cohort at London Irish Centre who were a vital part of the development process. I guess i’ve learnt that it takes a village to make a solo show!

Tell us about your show.

Troubled is a story of love, loss and the extraordinary power of human connection – told with tea and biscuits. Set in a divided city (Belfast), in a divided country, at a divided time, Troubled follows Alice as she grows up and attempts to negotiate love and life and relationships, but the past keeps getting in her way. This is a story about growing up in conflict during the ‘Troubles’ and the impact of that on a human. It’s about reckoning with your past so you can live in the present. The show goes to some dark places but ultimately leaves us with renewed hope for the future.

Designer Rachel Sampley has done some fantastic video work for us and there’s a lovely combo of found footage and movement and story which offers the audience a real experience of what back in Troubles Belfast might have been like.

Troubled is written by me, Suzy Crothers, Produced by Rachael Halliwell and directed by Amie Burns Walker. Executive producers are Roisin Gallagher (BAFTA nominated star of The Lovers/ The Dry) and Patrick Handley. Amie and I have known each other for years and years and in fact used to live together in a London flatshare. Amie and Rachael run all Points North Productions together so it felt like a real synergy for us all to come together and make this show.

The show has been developed over the past few years with the support of the arts council, plus organisations like Camden People’s Theatre, 1 Degree East, Power of Women and London Irish Centre.

Before coming to Edinburgh Fringe, we are excited to be doing two shows through the Red Ladder Network in Leeds, plus two shows at London Irish Centre. After Edinburgh we’ll be heading to The Belgrade in Coventry and Sheffield Theatres, which are great venues that we are thrilled about. We’d love to take the show the show farther afield post Edinburgh and are looking at America and Australia too. With the show focusing on the impact of conflict, we’d love to share the work with places that have experienced conflict too, like South Africa for example. There’s a connect there.

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

There’s a lot of exciting stuff to see, i’ve started booking already. Last year i did 19 shows in something like three days, so my bank balance is dreading the fact that i’ll be there for a month this time!

I’m looking forward to seeing:

The Queen is Mad – a new musical by McGrath and Tasker, in the mode of Six.

Anthem for Dissatisfaction – by fab Northern Irish company Skelpie Limmer whose work always has a fantastic liveliness and punch, they’ve got a second show at the fringe, Shame show, which i’m also looking forward to catching.

Consumed produced by Paines Plough- Playwright Karis Kelly was the winner of the Women’s Prize for Playwriting for this show about 4 generations of Northern Irish women.

How to Win Against History – produced by Francesca Moody. I love Matthew Blake’s work as a performer and they are great alongside Seiriol and the team.

Last Rites – produced by Theatre Ad Infinitum – I’m fascinated by anything that deals with death and loss.

Rose + Bud – Winner of the Pleasance National Partnerships award, alongside the Lyric Belfast.

Shedinburgh, run by Francesca Moody production is full of some favourite artists and classic pieces of work – i’ve booked for Tim Crouch – My Arm, whose work never fails to delight and surprise.

Haley McGee – Age is a Feeling – this show is beautiful and Haley is a gorgeous performer – this will be my third time seeing it.

Songs of the Heart Trilogy by James Rowland – James is a lovely and highly skilled storyteller, his work is classic Edinburgh joy and he will be doing his trilogy of shows all at once, it will be a feat!

This Shit Happens all the time by Amanda Verlaque, which is a true story about queer love, homophobia and coercive control.

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EdFringe Talk: Abby Wambaugh: The First 3 Minutes of 17 Shows

Posted in *EdFestivals 2025, *Written Interviews by

“Now I know that the more specific to me that I make something, the more other people will love and connect with it. What an incredible gift!! I’m freaking out!!!”

WHO: Abby Wambaugh

WHAT: “Edinburgh Comedy Awards Best Newcomer Nominee and ISH Awards Best Newcomer Winner, Abby Wambaugh, returns with her critically acclaimed debut show before it transfers to New York, Off-Broadway this autumn. After waking up in the hospital following a late miscarriage, Abby – still high on anaesthesia – made an unexpected decision: to become a comedian. Now, in her uniquely goofy and heartfelt hour, Abby shares her 17 best ideas for her first show. ‘A masterpiece of construction’ **** (Guardian). ‘Utterly charming’ **** (Telegraph). ‘Sheer genius… I did not want this show.”

WHERE: Upstairs at Pleasance Courtyard (Venue 33) 

WHEN: 20:20 (60 min)

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Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

This is my second time there with my debut show!! I am so excited I get to come back with a show I already know I love to perform. I was also there for a week long split bill in 2022 and as part of The Pleasance Reserve in 2023. The Edinburgh Fringe is where I fell in love with comedy for the first time and really figured out that it can be anything.

What are the big things you’ve learned since 2024 and have you absorbed any of the lessons yet?

Last year I was bringing a brand new show that I didn’t know if people would like or connect to or get. This year I’m bringing the same show, having performed it over 50 times and now I knooooow people love it and laugh and cry and it frees me up to have a new and different experience of performing it each time. Now I know that the more specific to me that I make something, the more other people will love and connect with it. What an incredible gift!! I’m freaking out!!!

Tell us about your show.

I made the show with the help of my director and sweetest friend Lara Ricote. I wanted my show to feel how our friendshipt does, very silly, very loving, openly weeping plenty, and honest and warm as hell and she really helped me do that. I also got great notes, advice and peptalks from Sofie Hagen, Dec Monroe, Katie Coyle, Josh Herring (who teched my show last year and did the music), Ellen Paulig, and actually a ton more people, so many people helped me. My producers are Mick Perrin Worldwide and they took a big swing on me that I’m so grateful for. I got to do two weeks at the Soho Theatre in London, and I’m SO THRILLED to say that I will be doing the show in New York for 4 weeks Off Broadway with an incredible, unbelievable, I actually can’t believe it team and I am so excited about it I keep repeating it to myself like i just woke up from a coma and am trying to remember the facts.

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

Bangtail by Lil Wenker, That’s her real name and I can’t even believe it.

Lara Ricote always.

Kemah Bob who I don’t think is at fringe this year but I don’t care, go whenever you get a goddamn chance.

Josh Glanc always and immediately.

And I can’t wait to see the new shows from Shalaka Kurup, Sharon Wanjohi, Rohan Sharma, Sam Williams, and Allison Spittle who are all charming funny and kind as can possibly be.

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EdFringe Talk: Queer Tales for Autistic Folk

Posted in *EdFestivals 2025, *Written Interviews by

“I’m loving this new approach of putting up the beacon for queer and autistic people to come and see the show because it’s proven extremely effective.”

WHO: Cerys Bradley

WHAT: “You find a mysterious door that you have never seen before. Do you open it? If yes – buy a ticket to see this show. If not – why not? Join Cerys Bradley (Actually Autistic Excellence Award 2022, as seen on Comedy Central, UKTV, BBC One Wales) for their wonderful, expansive, interactive choose-your-own-story comedy show. ‘AUTISM!’ ***** (NeurodiverseReview.co.uk). ‘A great storyteller’ (Guardian).”

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

WHEN: 14:45 (60 min)

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Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

This is my ninth Edinburgh Fringe.

I first went when I was 17. When people in my school were planning their summer trips down to Newquay or post exams parties in Ibiza etc, I made all of my friends get an overnight bus from South Gloucestershire and marched them back and forth across the city so we could make 10ish shows a day. We were broke kids so we saw as much of PBH’s free fringe as we could and underage so we had blag our way into a fair few venues.

I first came to Edinburgh as a performer in 2017 on an improv science comedy show and then did my first solo show in 2022.

My favourite fringe was last year’s. I was doing a work in progress and only performed 8 shows so it was much chiller than usual and I could focus on experimenting. I also had a lot more time to see things and get excited by other people’s work.

What are the big things you’ve learned since 2024 and have you absorbed any of the lessons yet?

Last year I marketed the show slightly differently to my previous shows. It was a work in progress version of the show I am performing this year, Queer Tales for Autistic Folk, and we decided just to use the title to describe the audience we wanted.

I know that seems very obvious but I felt really strongly that my previous shows, Sportsperson and Not Overthinking Things 2019, should have their names because I really liked their names. I also really like selling tickets and performing to full rooms though so I’m loving this new approach of putting up the beacon for queer and autistic people to come and see the show because it’s proven extremely effective.

Tell us about your show.

Queer Tales for Autistic Folk is a semi-improvised, interactive, choose your own story-telling show. It has been written by myself and all of its previous audiences. In each performance, we collectively tell a story together which makes each show unique.

The creation of the show has been very collaborative also. It’s produced by Ingenious Fools who have worked with and supported me for many years now. I’ve also had input, advice, direction, and all manner of other help from lots of incredible artists including Amy Greaves, Edy Hurst, Beth Watson, Steffan Alun, Adam Larter, and Mikey Bligh-Smith.

The show was first performed at Machynlleth Comedy Festival in May of 2024 and has been performed all over the UK since including, most recently, in Brighton where it was nominated for a neurodiverse performance award. It’s changed significantly since its very first outing so, if you’ve seen it before, you can definitely come and see it again and see a whole new show.

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

Ok. I am going to try and limit myself in my recommendations here because there’s so much incredible stuff at the fringe but I really think that you should go and see:

Su Mi (it’s her debut hour and I guarantee you will have never experienced anything like her show)

Edy Hurst (who is wonderful and has a really fun show about ADHD, the Venga Boys, and witches)
Leila Navabi (their debut show from two years ago remains one of my all time favourite shows and I am so excited she is back with new work)

Lorna Rose Treen (has an incredible concept for a show)

Pat Cahill (what a mind, what a performer)

Katie Mitchell (she has an amazing story to tell and is telling it in such a cool and inventive way)

And then, because it’s fringe, you should go and see some work in progresses and not quite finished work as well (Mikey Bligh-Smith is doing a WIP for example).

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EdFringe Talk: Edy Hurst’s Wonderfull Discoverie of Witches in the Countie of Himself

Posted in *EdFestivals 2025, *Written Interviews by

“It’s a comedy show where I, venerable comedian Edy Hurst, discover shocking revelations about my relations, leading me on a journey beyond this mortal plane to try and harness the powers of the dark arts.”

WHO: Edy Hurst

WHAT: “Startling revelations about Edy Hurst’s (‘bursts with comedic joy’ (Skinny)) relations have set him on vision quest to contact his ancestors. But around every corner there echoes the siren call of the Vengaboys. What’s all that about? ‘A fine example of neurodiversity in action’ (Scotsman). ‘A delightfully witchy adventure’ **** (Young-Perspective.net). Commissioned by Developed With Lowry. Supported by Arts Council England.”

WHERE: Downstairs at Assembly Roxy (Venue 139) 

WHEN: 14:20 (60 min)

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Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

You know, in it’s own way, aren’t we always going to Edinburgh for the first time? We never step in the same river and so too is the historic city a constantly changing tapestry of stone, iron and unforgiving hills? That’s not really true, but didn’t it sound compelling for a few sentences?

I’ve been to the Fringe for a number of years, doing short runs, spots, full runs and sometimes just sitting, watching and over thinking my role as an audience member (is my laugh too loud? Is it not loud enough? Will I disappear up my ass if I continue thinking I’m so important in this show?). I have performed at some of the most glamorous venues in the city (RIP phones4u fringe venue) and feel like I now have the working knowledge to convert any broom cupboard into a 20 seater venue.

This will be the first full run in over 5 years and I am both really looking forward to it and ignoring my bank balance at all costs (and there’s a lot of costs). One of the great things about Edinburgh Fringe is that it continues to be a place where you can perform a show you’ve worked on for a month to audiences actively looking for new things to watch. Oh no I accidentally said something I meant deletedeleetedelete

What are the big things you’ve learned since 2024 and have you absorbed any of the lessons yet?

Last year I learnt that if a street, road or lane has a town or city at the start of it, then it must point in the exact direction of that place. So every ‘York Road’ points towards York. It was a real revelatioin to me, and to be truly candid, I still think I’m trying to find out how this is helpful or useful information to have in my head.

I also learnt that if your show has a giant homemade cauldron, you need to make sure it can fit through a standard door size to get it onto a stage, and that the Vengaboys are surprisingly harder to get in touch with that you would expect.

Tell us about your show.

Edy Hurst’s Wonderfull Discoverie of Witches in the Countie of Himself is a show about the Lancashire Witch trials, the Vengaboys and “Nothing Else” (Scotsman described it as “A Fine example of Neurodiversity in action”).

It was commissioned by Lowry’s ‘Developed With’ Programme and has been supported by Arts Council England, which has been a huge change in how I’ve made shows. Before I’ve done nearly everything in making the show, from writing material, songs, props, videos to setting up performing and driving the van. With this show I’ve been able to work with an amazing team, including director Joz Norris, where we spent a long time thinking about what the show was, how I wanted to say it, and with help from set and lighting designers creating a full theatrical level of production alongside a giant cauldron and a dream to tell the world the Vengaboys secretly made a concept album where they learnt to circumnavigate the globe

It’s a comedy show where I, venerable comedian Edy Hurst, discover shocking revelations about my relations, leading me on a journey beyond this mortal plane to try and harness the powers of the dark arts. A lot of people keep saying ‘oh it’s about being neurodivergent in the 21st century. It’s about late stage ADHD diagnosis and family and realising that lessons you thought you kept having to re-learn maybe aren’t lessons but something about you and how you navigate your place in the world.’ and I would really like to quash those pernicious rumours. It’s simply about the 1612 Lancashire Witchtrials and how the Vengaboys created a concept album in which they circumnavigate the globe.

The show was previewed in 2024, before premiering on the 31st Oct (spooky) at Lowry, and goings on a Winter/Spring tour, and following the fringe will be on the second, more seasonally appropriate tour across the UK.

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

OH NO! I’M GOING TO MISS SOMEONE OUT AND I ALREADY FEEL EVERY SINEW IN MY BODY TENSING UP IN DREAD.

If you watch my show that people seem to think combines folklore and magic through a Neurodivergent lens (what lens? Where’s this lens? I didn’t craft a lens over here) then Cerys Bradley’s Queer Tales for Austic Folk is so far up your street it’s blocking your driveway. It’s a great community adventure that puts access at the heart of the work, and you leave feeling like a lovely team.
https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/cerys-bradley-s-queer-tales-for-autistic-folk

My director Joz Norris also has their new show You Wait. Time Passes that I cannot wait to see. Joz is very funny and able to balance big complicated feelings with a huge dollops of silliness and he’s finally unveiling his life’s work in this show. We’ve all been begging for it. Gobble Gobble.
https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/joz-norris-you-wait-time-passes

Frankie Monroe! Here Comes Frankie! He’s back from hell! Did he bring his trowel?? Joe kindly spent some time on clown-y physical comedy bits for my show, and they’re such a naturally talented and hilarious performer – if you can get a ticket Frankie Monroe’s follow up to the Fringe award-winning show last year you’ll be in for amazing, grotty fun.
https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/joe-kent-walters-is-frankie-monroe-dead-good-fun-time

Some other folks I’m going to include are Jain Edwards, Katie Zoe-Mitchell, Andrew O’Neill, Lulu Popplewell, Eleanor Morton, Bennet Kavannagh, Jake Donaldson’s WIP with the cracking title of ‘the fifth weezer’, Staffan Allun and so so so many more that I will kick myself not for mentioning the moment I press submit. Oh what about Pat Cahill, they’re great!

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EdFringe Talk: Timestamp

Posted in *EdFestivals 2025, *Written Interviews by

“It’s not about being reckless—it’s about being present, intentional, and bold enough to chase what matters to you.”

WHO: Karen Cecilia

WHAT: “A performance duet of sonic verse, dance, and audience experience that challenges the expectations imposed upon us in society. Using co-authored text, musician and playwright Karen Cecilia, and dance and visual artist Emilee Lord, break down and name the expectations they have each combatted and assert what they chose instead. While each performer’s story differs in detail and expression, a common thread between them will ring true with others who have carved their own paths in life. The audience will be asked to consider their own ideas of “shoulds” and invited to contribute to the show’s performance that day.”

WHERE: Meeting Room at Dovecot Studios (Venue 198a) 

WHEN: 16:30 (60 min)

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Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

It’s not my first time here. Every visit feels a bit different, though—especially during the festival season. There’s a unique buzz in the air that you can’t quite find anywhere else.

There’s something magical about seeing artists of all backgrounds and disciplines come together in one place. Whether it’s comedy, theatre, spoken word, music, or something completely experimental, there’s always something new to discover around every corner. The entire city becomes a stage. What makes Edin Fringe truly great is the sense of community. You feel like you’re part of something bigger than yourself. It’s inspiring to see people sharing their art, their stories, and their passion with complete strangers, all brought together by a love of performance and expression.

What are the big things you’ve learned since 2024 and have you absorbed any of the lessons yet?

If there’s something you want, something you dream about doing—whether it’s creative, personal, or professional—you have to go after it now. I’ve started to really internalize that. I don’t want to look back and think, “I should have tried.” So I’m leaning into opportunities, saying yes more often, and trusting that action creates momentum. It’s not about being reckless—it’s about being present, intentional, and bold enough to chase what matters to you. That shift in mindset has changed the way I approach almost everything.

Tell us about your show.

TIMESTAMP is a bold performance duet that fuses sonic verse, movement, and visual storytelling into a living, breathing act of resistance and reclamation.
Playwright and Theremin player Karen Cecilia and dance-visual artist Emilee Lord co-author a layered narrative that examines—and defies—the expectations society places on us: how we should look, live, create, and succeed.

Far from a passive performance, “Timestamp” invites the audience to step in. Each show evolves through direct audience contributions, turning the space into a shared timestamp—an imprint of that night’s truths, choices, and collective voice. We know that you’ll ponder the show days after as you leave examining your own life and your expectations for it.

It was co-written by Karen and Emilee. We had our first run of the show last year in NYC and a workshop version of the show several months before that. This run is produced by Rhymes With Purple.

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

1612
Talking Shadows

Agadez and Antonio Forcione: Queendoms Unplugged

Score
Isaiah Wilson

These Mechanisms
Christine Thynne and Robbie Synge

All of these shows are featuring women and/or written by women and take that narrative lens and bring it into these forms of expression. We are women performers who support other women performers.

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EdFringe Talk: Twonkey’s Zip Wire to Zanzibar

Posted in *EdFestivals 2025, *Written Interviews by

“The fringe has got a bit smaller sense Covid which I think is a good thing. It got too big, I remember 2019 that was the biggest Fringe ever had more than 5,000 shows. This year has 3,352 shows so It’s lot smaller now which is better I think.

WHO: Paul Vickers aka Mr.Twonkey,Twonks or Twonketta

WHAT: “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious. Performed in drag as the vaudevillian widow Twonketta, a lady who is somewhat late for church. This year it’s a thriller about rival rollercoasters and fairgrounds set by a smoky lagoon in a valley once owned by ex-milkman-turned-singer Shakin’ Stevens. An award-winning trailblazer of a show featuring Fringe royalty such as: the Steve Martin puppet made from sanitary towels, the pocket princess and the flugelhorn-tooting Tutti Cnutti. ‘Clowning at its very best’ ***** (Scotsman). ‘His idiotic joy is infectious: he is a masterclass in play’ ***** (NeurodiverseReview.co.uk).”

WHERE: Other Room at Laughing Horse @ Dragonfly (Venue 414) 

WHEN: 20:15 (60 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

It’s never the same twice but it would really frightening if it was, Groundhog Day. I’ve done 13 solo shows and I’ve written 2 plays and put them on at the fringe too, so 15 fringe shows in total.

The most famous one had me playing David Lynch which was a bit like Les Dawson playing David it was a real experience that one. My normal show is the Twonkey show if you can call it normal.
I use puppets, I sing songs and I tell jokes. This year i’m dressing up as lady i’m playing Mr.Twonkey’s widow, I like to push myself.

The fringe has got a bit smaller sense Covid which I think is a good thing. It got too big, I remember 2019 that was the biggest Fringe ever had more than 5,000 shows. This year has 3,352 shows so It’s lot smaller now which is better I think The first Fringe was just Peter Cook in a pub that was maybe too small, lol.

What are the big things you’ve learned since 2024 and have you absorbed any of the lessons yet?

In 2023 I was doing Twonkey at the Voodoo Rooms ballroom, It was a fun year it was great to playing such an amazing room but it was my Greatest Hits show so I pulled out all the stops.
I was on all the lampposts and felt like a real star but I learnt those lampposts cost money BABY!
So I’m at the super cute and friendly Dragonfly, the staff are wonderful and Alex who runs the venue is a lovely man, so I feel at home. I’ve played many venues but I think Dragonfly is the closest to a real home I have had.

Tell us about your show.

t’s a bit like a one man Carry On franchise now. This year is my Carry On Up the Khyber or maybe Carry On Regardless, I don’t know for sure.

It has a plot line that’s goes back years to when show was performed by a small baby dragon which sadly got smashed into tiny lumps on a pool table during the semi finals of the Laughing Horse new comic of the year awards. It’s actually a bit like Doctor Who as I travel through space and time and have many adventures this year we are off to Zanzibar on a zip wire, last year it was Peru on a ship and one year I ran a restaurant during World War 2 and even a jet ski up the Mississippi.

I’m autistic so I’m going full genderfluid this year and why not?

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

Sam Nicoresti : Baby Doomer,

Sam is ace and free wheeling and very funny.
She deals with sensitive issues in a way that never feels overwhelming or heavy-handed.
Go.

Athens of The North : Mark Hannah

A one man Alan Bennett style taking heads theatre show and his acting is mesmerising.
It’s also wonderfully well written and I was blown away by it.

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EdFringe Talk: Ian Smith: Foot Spa Half Empty

Posted in *EdFestivals 2025, *Written Interviews by

“I’m only 36 but I feel like an old veteran of the Fringe now.”

WHO: Ian Smith

WHAT: “Edinburgh Comedy Award nominee Ian Smith (co-host of the Northern News podcast) returns with a new show about stress, love and buying a magic spell off Amazon. As seen on Live at the Apollo, Have I Got News For You and The Stand Up Sketch Show – and heard on The News Quiz, The Unbelievable Truth, Just A Minute and his own Radio 4 series, Ian Smith Is Stressed. ‘Effortlessly brilliant’ **** (Scotsman). ‘There are few Fringe shows as purely funny as this’ **** (Guardian). ‘An outstanding and stressed-out hour of stand-up’ **** (Fest).”

WHERE: Monkey Barrel 1 at Monkey Barrel Comedy (Venue 515) 

WHEN: 12:30 (60 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

No, this will be my 8th solo show! I’m only 36 but I feel like an old veteran of the Fringe now. I know all the best placesto go to the toilet when you’re rushing around. I realise that makes me sound even more like an old man. But seriously, please feel free to approach me and ask for a full run down of Edinburgh’s toilets.

I really love Edinburgh – as a comedian its a month where you get to perform to the best comedy fans, but its also just one of the most beautiful cities in the UK. It can be a stressful month performing multiple times a day, but there’s beaches nearby, great food, lots of green spaces and some excellent toilets. It’s the perfect place for an intense month-long arts festival.

What are the big things you’ve learned since 2024 and have you absorbed any of the lessons yet?

My last show in 2023 was all about how stressed I was and some of the bizarre attempts to relax I tried (largely tank based – a floatation tank and driving over a car in a tank with my hairdresser in Slovakia (a tale as old as time))…

I don’t seem to have learnt how to relax yet because in the build up to this years show I visited the most haunted house in the UK (again with Dom, my hairdresser – who got briefly possessed) and I entered a competitive jigsaw tournament with my girlfriend (no practice, no major interest in jigsaws). Maybe this will be the show where I finally learn the key to de-stressing! You’ll have to come and see to find out.

Tell us about your show.

The show is written and performed by me – it’s a solo stand-up show about thinking my life was heading in a relaxing direction but it actually becoming far more stressful. Lots of things happened in the build up to the Fringe and it’s changed what the shows about. It’s shouty, stressed out, but also just very silly.

It’s produced by Strip Light and the Fringe will bt the show’s premiere. After the Fringe I’ll be taking it to Soho Theatre in November and then a UK tour in Feb/March.

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

I love Pierre Novellie – he always creates very funny and brilliant structured shows and I’ve seen bits of this year’s already. Also, I’m excited to see John Kearns do his work in progress. He’s one of my favourite comics is always a Fringe highlight.

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EdFringe Talk: Crownless

Posted in *EdFestivals 2025, *Written Interviews by

“I’m at the point in my career that I’m exclusively celebrating the different, the new, the up-and-coming in theatre… and Fringe feels like the heart of that.”

WHO: Ashley Amodeo

WHAT: “When the ghost of her father returns seeking revenge, Hamlet has to choose: play along, or break the cycle? When she makes her choice, the ghost makes his and haunts her coat. Crownless fuses Shakespeare’s text with contemporary female poetry in a bold exploration of grief and power. It’s a ghost story, a coming-of-age tale and a stylish love letter to saying ‘no’. With sharp dialogue, unexpected laughs and a coat full of unresolved trauma, this show walks the line between comedy and heartbreak. If you’ve ever argued with a parent’s voice in your head, this one’s for you.”

WHERE: studio at C ARTS | C venues | C aquila (Venue 21) 

WHEN: 12:30 (50 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

It is! I’ve always been so fascinated by Fringe for a long time, and I’m so excited to be bringing this show there. Being an actor in New York, it’s one of those things you think “well maybe some day…” for so long. So this really is a dream come true for me. I also think I’m at the point in my career that I’m exclusively celebrating the different, the new, the up-and-coming in theatre… and Fringe feels like the heart of that. I’m honored to be a part of it.

What are the big things you’ve learned since 2024 and have you absorbed any of the lessons yet?

2023 was the year I learned to stop saying no to myself.

There were a lot of things that year that I thought I couldn’t do, but decided to do anyway. I learned that I don’t need some sort of “you’re ready” certificate to do something… I should just be doing it.

But as for fully absorbing that?

I think that will be a lifelong journey. Being a creative is a constant battle between chasing what you want to do and also doubting if you can do it. But I’m trying everyday to just tell myself “you can do this!” Because if you can’t tell yourself that, will you ever believe it from anyone else?

Tell us about your show.

I’m the writer and performer of the play! I moved here from Brooklyn to get my masters, and part of my course was to write a solo show. But when I had the idea for the play back in 2023, I basically turned myself down right away and said “I can’t write that.”

3 months later, I went back to the idea and just wrote it. (I say that like it was easy… it was a long and scary process.) When I performed it, I was shocked at how well received it was by my peers, my teachers, and the school as a whole. It’s now featured in the advertisement for the school’s postgraduate acting program. I then approached the MA course director, asking if she would like to direct it for Fringe… and she replied “Well, I was just about to tell you that I’m retiring… so let’s do it!”

The show is a one-woman Hamlet, told from the perspective of the Ghost of Hamlet’s Father. It’s modernized, so instead of being royalty, the family are well known writers. When Hamlet Sr. is killed by his brother, he goes to the garden and wait for his daughter, Hamlet, but she never shows up. So he decides he has to find a way to talk to her without her freaking her out too much… and ends up haunting her coat. What follows is a deep dive into their family dynamic, lots of scheming from both of the Hamlets, and a bunch of modern female poetry!

Interwoven within the text from Shakespeare’s Hamlet are excerpts of poetry from contemporary poets Leland Bardwell, Emily Dickinson, Tess Gallagher, Louise Glück, Amanda Gorman, Jane Hirshfield, Denise Levertov, Sylvia Plath, & Maya C. Popa.

The show is being produced by C-Arts for one week this Fringe, from August 18-24 at C-Aquila Studio @ 12:30 PM.

Afterwards, it will be appearing at Voila! Festival in London this November with Etcetera Theatre!

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

So many things!

A fellow actor in my agency, Sam MacGregor will be in Hold the Line with the Pleasance for the whole of Fringe. (Shout out to our agent, Nathalie Bazan!)

Also check out After Shakespeare with Slade Wolfe Enterprises Limited, Timonopoly with Brite Theater, and Shakespeare for Breakfast with C Theatre!

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‘ARCADE’ (Venue 26, until AUG 26th)

Posted in 4*, EdFestivals 2024, Rated: Nae Bad by

“Thanks to smart sets, soundscapes and sensory effects, it all feels unsettlingly real.”

Editorial Rating: 4 Stars (Nae Bad)

I was a kid in the 80s and have fond memories of the video games of that era. They might look terribly basic to today’s youth, but at the time they were new and exciting. We played Pac-Man, Frogger, Space Invaders, Donkey Kong and the like over and over, bashing away at the simple controls as we climbed levels and knocked one another off the leaderboards.

So, I was intrigued by the prospect of Darkfield’s Arcade at the Edinburgh Fringe this year. Billed as drawing on the 8-bit aesthetic of the 80s, it offers the chance to “enter the world of the game and choose your own unique journey.” My expectations were quite high. I’ve been to two previous Darkfield productions – Séance and Flight – and enjoyed both. This team specialises in innovative 360 degree audio experiences. Shipping containers are transformed into highly immersive theatre spaces where you find yourself a participant in a Victorian séance, or strapped into a cramped airplane seat as a passenger on an unconventional journey. Thanks to smart sets, soundscapes and sensory effects, it all feels unsettlingly real.

Arcade sticks to the formula with its shipping container venue, but this is a much less passive experience. With Séance and Flight you take a seat, and take it all in. Here, you’re literally at the controls. Each audience member (player) takes their place at a different arcade machine. You’re given headphones and instructions to press a button to respond to yes or no questions and pointed towards the coin slot where you can use tokens, when prompted, if you choose. The room is then plunged into total darkness, and the game begins.

I won’t comment too much on the actual content. Spoilers could influence your decision-making, and indeed by all accounts the story varies significantly based on the choices you make – choices that have immediate consequences. For me, suffice to say I witnessed an unpleasant murder, played guitar in a band and may have inadvertently joined a cult.

The narrative does feel a bit disjointed at times. It isn’t always entirely clear who’s doing what, and why. But – much like the video games of my youth – the ‘why’ doesn’t always really matter. Arcade is totally immersive – characters seem to approach from all directions, barking instructions in your face, or whispering questions in your ear. It’s creepy and disorienting, standing there in the dark trying to decide which voice to trust.

Arcade is not the nostalgia trip you might expect. It’s pitch dark in every sense and there’s little real connection to the retro, 8-bit world of the 80s. But it’s also thought-provoking, creepy fun. If you’ve never been to a Darkfield production before I suspect you won’t have experienced anything quite like it. If you have, you’ll have an idea of what to expect, but that won’t help you pick the right path.

Get your jean jacket coats on and try it for yourself!

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‘At Home With Will Shakespeare’ (Venue 33, until AUG 26th)

Posted in 5*, EdFestivals 2024, Rated: Outstanding by

“Not since the age of Allan Ramsay has Edinburgh enjoyed portraiture of such soaring humility and intimate majesty.”

Editorial Rating: 5 Stars (Outstanding)

I’m standing in the queue for the lavies after the show. It’s a long and slow-moving wait. Behind me another Pip Utton mega fan is waxing lyrical on the master’s stage presence, his timing, his audience work, his gift for telling big stories with little touches. It was a much better review than the one you’re about to read.

We enter to find Mr Shakespeare is recovering from the night before. This is not a specific moment in the Bard’s life. It’s one of those out of time and space encounters which are the signature of the Utton canon. Over the coming hour we will explore Shakespeare’s triumphs, examine his tragedies, extirpate some myths, and excite the green-eyed monster jealousies which (still) pettily peep out from the shadow cast by this huge-legged colossus not of an age but for all time.

Plays about Shakespeare are ten a penny. In fact, there are probably more of them staged at any given EdFringe than actual revivals of the words what he wrote. Who was this man of inky glory? What powered his genius? There are more potential questions with more possible answers than there are moves on a chessboard. It takes a grounded hubris to attempt to scale the towering heights of Shakespeare. It takes the eye of an Olympian climber to identify the swiftest, but surest route up in the time allowed. It takes nimbleness, subtly, and strength to arrive with time enough to spare so as to enjoy the view.

Utton gets Shakespeare the grafter because no other actor grafts like Utton. Utton comprehends Shakespeare the crafter because no other theatrical producer is so reliable in the quality of their craft as Utton. Utton lauds Shakespeare with the gentle, self-mocking laughter of one who has similarly reached the top and managed to stay there.

Nicola Fleming’s direction is fluid, lucid, and candid. Here is the show which comes closest to recovering what was lost when the late, great Rodney Bewes took his final curtain call. Bewes was the gourmet master of the EdFringe potboiler solo show. His genius was to make each performance come alive with an offhand delivery that sent the ball wheezing over the boundary line for six time and again. Utton is similarly loved by his audience and, as I am reminded in the queue for the loos, that relationship is deepening with each successive success.

Not since the age of Allan Ramsay has Edinburgh enjoyed portraiture of such soaring humility and intimate majesty. Not having Pip Utton at an EdFringe is like not having whisky cream sauce on your haggis – it is possible, but the best festival there is or ever was is just better with the work of Pip Utton featuring in the line-up.

Get your doublets on and go see this!

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