Tag Archives: EdFringe

EdFringe Talk: Joan Collins Blocked Me on Twitter

Posted in *Written Interviews, EdFestivals 2025 by

“I’ve also had A LOT of help!!!! Mostly mental and spiritual encouragement from friends and family, and a ton of cash from the West Cumbria community.”

WHO: Billy Walker

WHAT: “Theodore Emory Jones, one of England’s finest thespian exports (in his opinion), arrives in Hollywood with the sole burning desire of starring in the Dynasty reboot. Armed with a Burberry steamer trunk filled with enough opinions to sink the Cutty Sark, and a signed 10×8 of Patricia Routledge, only one thing stands in his way – Dame Joan Collins! This Fleabag-style one-man spectacle has more chaos and camp than all of the Carry On films combined!! Fasten your seatbelts, it’s going to be a bumpy night!!”

WHERE: Jade Studio at Greenside @ George Street (Venue 236) 

WHEN: On Demand (55 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

This is indeed my first time doing a show at the Edinburgh fringe festival. I have actually applied for a grant to do a show over the last few years, but I was unsuccessful. Finally, I said “you know something. I’m just going to do this myself. “. So I have!!! I now split my time between Los Angeles, and England. Over in America, it is looked upon as a huge prestigious thing to be staging a show at the Edinburgh Festival. I think what is going to be very special for me about this experience is that I have made this happen. I created a character, and I structured a show around this character, and I have done all the fundraising, all the producing, all the admin, everything to get this show up on its feet. And for that, I’m super proud of myself. I’ve also had A LOT of help!!!! Mostly mental and spiritual encouragement from friends and family, and a ton of cash from the West Cumbria community.

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

One of the biggest takeaways of the last 12 months from me is that I cannot control other people, I am only responsible for how I show up. There have been some incredibly tough situations to navigate in putting the show up., and some massive opportunities for personal and professional growth! The biggest lesson that I have absorbed lately, is that I can depend on myself! And I thrive under pressure!!! And it’s hot in a wig for an hour under lights.

Tell us about your show.

This show has been about five years in the Making. But in actual fact, I was thinking to myself the other day, it’s sort of an accumulation of my entire life’s passion. Because the whole premise of the show is about an English actor who goes to Hollywood to try and land a role in the Dynasty reboot. When I was about five or six years old, growing up on the council estate in northern England, we had this coal bunker in the garden. It was a brick structure about 5 foot high with a wooden lid. I used to reenact scenes from all of the American soaps with my favourite characters on top of the coal bunker. Dynasty cat fights were my favourites, with my poor cousin Rachael. I was always Alexis – obviously – Well Krystle and Rachael were both blonde, so it made sense that she would play the ‘blonde tramp!’

Just before the Covid pandemic I wrote, produced and starred in a short film called ‘Linda Evans is my spirit animal’. It did really well at a lot of film festivals, but I kept being told one thing over and over, that the character would work so well in a theatre piece. In front of a live audience. So, Joan Collins Blocked me on Twitter was conceived one year ago. I started working on the script last summer, and I can’t believe what I have created over the last 12 months. I am officially the producer, Director, writer and star of the show. Officially, Edinburgh is the world Premiere, but I did do three preview shows in Los Angeles just to try out some material and see how it worked in front of an audience. Because the humour is slightly different on the other side of the Atlantic I actually decided to write an American version of the script, so officially the British version of Joan Collins has not yet been seen anywhere in the world! Can you believe that dame Joan will headline a show at this years Edinburgh fringe without having to step foot in Scotland’s capital city!?

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

One of my best friends from Los Angeles, who is a fantastic stand-up comedian, is bringing her heartwarming one woman show to the Edinburgh fringe this year. After sell out performances in New York and also on the West Coast in Los Angeles. It’s called fill your pockets with sunshine by Kezia Norton.

Another show that I am really really excited to see is Jake Roche Neporrhoids. It made its debut at the festival last year and it’s coming back as it was so popular so I can’t wait to check it out. lastly, I am going to support as much theatre as I can in the three weeks that I am up in Edinburgh, I will start by seeing every show at Greenside venues, which is where my show will play every night at 10 pm at the Jade studio on George Street. Big hugs all

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EdFringe Talk: Dance Dance Involution

Posted in *Written Interviews, EdFestivals 2025 by

“There is a richness when we let colors of each devisor shine through, with both their authentic human agency and fictitious elements blurring.”

WHO: Eugene (creator and director) & Dorothy (line producer, actor, co-writer)

WHAT: “Three Gen Z Hong Kong actors hustle for stardom – will they shamelessly scam your ticket by just lying flat or will they blow your mind and shine? A daring, hilarious rollercoaster where ambition meets absurdity. Critically-acclaimed director Eugene Ma invites you to a smart, witty play where young people navigate the chaos of hustle and quiet quitting. Watch as these dreamers wrestle with their voices, their pasts and the unpredictable journey ahead. A thrilling blend of sweat, rage, burnout and moments of hope – come along for a wild, unforgettable ride!”

WHERE: Studio at theSpace @ Niddry St (Venue 9) 

WHEN: 12:00 (40 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

E: Indeed our virginal Edinburgh voyage! Having directed primarily in more curated spaces, I’m thrilled to encounter the lored cross-pollinating culture at EdFringe, where most people who show up are there for the love of the performing arts and the very real humans hold space for our stories and shared humanity, a rare feat in our social media culture! We want new friends and collaborators — hopefully even meeting special humans who change our trajectories in one way or another!

D: As an actor, I hope to be inspired by the works and worldviews of other artists we will meet. As well as bringing in our own worldview to the table — as in Dance Dance Involution we make space for Gen Z’s voices. Our Hong Kong Female Gen Z voices who happen to be actresses, navigating their careers through hustle culture, no foreseen financial stability and a rapid shift in the entertainment industry. We ask ourselves, what makes us so stuck as supposed creatives right now?

So yes, first time. Hopefully not the last and hopefully it won’t blow the bank. (It will, and it will be worth it!

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

E: I’ve begun to turn my career from for-hire directing jobs and institutional teaching to a model that includes more community building, incubation and mentorship, as well as facilitating works and conversations that raise the contextual understanding of the self with artists I work with. More juicy process and space for human convening and less result-orientation, hoping for a more juicy and unexpected end result! I’ve learned that while it’s thrilling to sit through an event with a singular and driving event through a directors’ lens; there is a richness when we let colors of each devisor shine through, with both their authentic human agency and fictitious elements blurring~ That visceral multiplicity is something I don’t see AI catching up to any time soon, and something I cherish more and more of! Also an appreciation of voices that are coming after mine, who were supposedly there to learn from me. Seeing how they curate their online images blew my mind in understanding how the self is constructed and “managed” now, and understand a little more my context as a live work maker. How can I exploit and subvert these properties in a surprising and bombastic piece? (Come and find out!)

Tell us about your show.

E: The premise is simple and real – I originally gathered three former students to make a show and dig deep to scream something into the world. The first week of devising was brutally dry; nothing seems to stick — and we tried everything: using text prompts, viewpoint compositions, bringing in songs or visual inspirations… Then I’d flipped the prompt around to explore what about our upbringing and education stunted our ability creative generation, while exploring the notions of lying flat and involution in hustle culture, when original devisor Sheena Chan brought in an article that sparked glowing eyes and very personal stories in the room! That’s when we knew where the lightening bolt would live!

This is a new piece, and the first piece from Deliberate Collision, my new international and third culture theater company centered in Hong Kong after my decades in North America. As I wish to make space and support voices that live outside of the traditional Cantonese theater, one that can aptly dialogue with the world’s zeitgeist from the Hong Kong point of view. So this piece is made for that purpose, first and foremost, and we have the honor of presenting our first piece in its first draft in Edinburgh!! Then we will further develop the piece into another iteration in Cantonese down the road, and run it in tandem with the English language version.

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

E: We really want to shed light on two other shows coming to Edinburgh with us. It’s serendipitous that Asia base is bringing three shows from Hong Kong, among other shows from Taiwan — and all three focuses on the female experience from the lenses in different phases. Ah-Ma zooms in on aging and the fading of memories; and Dots lives in a middle aged space as Annie contends with the high functioning depressive experience. All Hong Kong women! But seen through different times and ages!! Conveniently in consecutive time slots, before and after our show! Come and weave the full picture together, then have a conversation with us! Xx

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EdFringe Talk: In the Bushes

Posted in *Written Interviews, EdFestivals 2025 by

“Audiences are curious and eager to chat with artists on the streets, making this festival in particular, warm and human.”

WHO: Léa Tirabasso

WHAT: “One of Europe’s most exciting female choreographic voices comes into its own, in this uncompromising and surrealistic piece. Plunged into an absurd world, In the Bushes celebrates the incomprehensible and magnificent contradictions of life. Quirky and witty, it mocks the idea that we are exceptional and questions our humanity with ferocious joy. ‘Masterfully choreographed’ (BroadwayWorld.com) ‘Powerful’ (WritingAboutDance.com).”

WHERE: Main Hall at Summerhall (Venue 26) 

WHEN: 16:35 (60 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

It’s my first time presenting my own work on the Fringe. But it’s my sixth visit as an audience member! I’ve been coming to support my partner’s company and his show, and I’ve loved every experience of it! Audiences are curious and eager to chat with artists on the streets, making this festival in particular, warm and human. I really enjoy its atmosphere; the buzz, the excitement, and the curiosity of everyone involved in discovering new shows. That sense of emulation is exhilarating. However, I do want to visit Edinburgh outside of the Fringe to fully see the city beyond the festival frenzy!

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

That dreams can evolve and transform.
That even a dream does not have a fixed identity.

Tell us about your show.

In the bushes is a dance piece I imagined and constructed in collaboration with 6 incredible dancers and performers – Catarina Barbosa, Georges Maikel Pires Monteiro, Karl Fagerlund Brekke, Laura Lorenzi, Mayowa Ogunnaike and Stefania Pinato. The composers are Johanna Bramli and Ed Chivers, the lighting designer is Ben Moon and the costume designer is Jennifer Lopes Santos. The team is made of old and new collaborators. Between 2023 and 2024, we researched the movement language of the piece, its conceptual focus and its creative impulses. We then premiered the work in Marseille (FR) and in Luxembourg (LU) in November 2024, and performed it at The Place in London last March.

Our starting points were: what do we do when we (need to) hide? What is the difference between humans and animals? (Surprise: there are none). But the exciting thing for me is that every time I see the work, new questions and understandings arise, what the piece is and means evolves and transforms. Ultimately, I wonder whether the question of the piece wouldn’t be: What is left of humanity when nothing makes sense anymore?

Looking ahead, we’re exploring opportunities to share the piece at upcoming festivals. I’m excited to see where it goes next…

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

Theatre Re, The Nature of Forgetting, The Pleasance Courtyard Grand: It is one of the most beautiful pieces of physical theatre I have ever seen. Telling stories through movement; depicting memory loss, love, and time without using any explanatory words is truly brilliant and beautiful. They have been touring the world and are back to Edinburgh.. a must see, and feel. Full disclosure, the show’s director is the partner I referred to in Question 1!

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EdFringe Talk: Alex Stringer: Happy Hour

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“Bring on the Irn Bru! I wanna be drowning in it. Like Augustus Gloop from Charlie & The Chocolate Factory but the orange good stuff.”

WHO: Alex Stringer

WHAT: “Alex got sober in 2017 when she was 23. This is a show about what it’s like once you get sober, discovering who you really are without substances, and what if who you really are is actually also a dickhead? Come and spend a happy hour. The debut fringe hour from Chortle Hotshot 2025, Alex Stringer.”

WHERE: Bunker Three at Pleasance Courtyard (Venue 33) 

WHEN: 18:00 (60 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

No, I’ve attended as a punter for the past 10 ish years, but it’s my first time doing the full month! It’s like Disneyland for adults I think, I can’t wait to get there already. Bring on the Irn Bru! I wanna be drowning in it. Like Augustus Gloop from Charlie & The Chocolate Factory but the orange good stuff.

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

I’ve learnt that grief is a process and that’s ok and that life is long, so just enjoy the ride baby! I’m really grateful. I feel like I’m constantly learning about who sober me is & how I handle life now and I wanna continue to do that in 2025. Also, getting the ick when a man presents his Costa card without being asked is valid.

Tell us about your show.

My show is about me getting sober at 23 and still being a dickhead without substances (short form) I wrote it, it’s being produced by Pierrot Productions, it’s our first time working together and it’s been amazing so far. Annie is the dream! She was recommended to me by a fellow comic & after a wealth of experience in producing, it’s the first year she’s taking her own company, which is cool as we get to mirror each other in our virginal state! The show is premiering at Edinburgh which is super exciting. The work in progress got me nominated for the women in comedy festival best show award though, so hoping that means it’s good? I’d love to take it everywhere to be honest. I’ve really taken my time to work on it & be the best comic, in order to debut. Plus, I think the message is important, so I’d love it to have a life after Edinburgh – we’ll see!

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

My friends are taking their theatre show ‘Cartoonopolis’ for the ten year anniversary of it being written. It’s a one man show, he plays 27 characters and it’s a show inspired by his autistic brother. It’s a love letter to neurodivergence & family & cartoons! It’s so good. It’s stayed with me for ten years. I can’t wait to get to see it again and watch audiences fall in love with it.

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EdFringe Talk: Lily Blumkin: Nice Try

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“I can’t wait to be surrounded by nothing but art and artists for a full month. Now I just have to make sure I don’t lose my voice on Day 1.”

WHO: Lily Blumkin

WHAT: “From The Daily Show’s Lily Blumkin comes a hilarious solo show about growing up and getting worse. When packing up her childhood bedroom, Lily introduces us to nine zany characters like a well-meaning dad, a self-indulgent rabbi, and an inanimate clump of hair. After sold out performances in New York, Nice Try comes to Fringe with an honest look at how we use the past to make sense of our present.”

WHERE: Blether at Gilded Balloon Patter House (Venue 24) 

WHEN: 17:40 (60 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

Yes!! This is my first time coming to Fringe, my first time coming to Edinburgh, my first time coming to Scotland! I’ve always wanted to perform here because I think it’s the single best place for artists to grow as writers and performers. I’m so excited to finally have the opportunity, and I can’t wait to be surrounded by nothing but art and artists for a full month. Now I just have to make sure I don’t lose my voice on Day 1.

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

Well, I’m American, so one of the big things I learned in 2024 is just how much people in my country hate women! But that’s probably not the answer you’re looking for. Regarding my show, I learned how to stay fresh in rehearsals by letting myself improvise, and that’s something I continue to do every time I practice. It’s important to me that my show feels lively and adaptable, so I definitely plan on giving myself the space to tweak as the festival goes on and lean into fun explorations that come up.

Tell us about your show.

Nice Try is written by, performed by, and produced by (Miss Piggy voice) MOI! It was directed in New York by my brilliant and talented friend Ariel Gitlin and directed in Edinburgh by another hilarious and gifted friend Lanee’ Sanders. I’ve been writing characters for about six years now, and in late 2023, I got the idea to compile some of my favorites into a solo show. I went through each character I had written, spent a year rewriting and workshopping them with Ariel, then eventually came up with the framing for my show and narrowed my characters down to just the strongest. I started running the full show in early 2025, and I’ve sold out performances in New York! Lanee’ and I will run the show in Edinburgh, adjusting here and there as new ideas come up. Then after the festival, I plan to run it again in NYC and travel with the show to a handful of cities in America.

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

Everyone should be sure to check out Nick Hornedo’s “Watch This When You Get Home” which is about Nick reuniting with an ex-girlfriend to rewatch a movie he made to break up with her in high school. It’s a hilarious and heartfelt story that is not to be missed. Catch it for the full run Underbelly!

I also highly recommend seeing Alice Fishbein’s “Leo Still Dies In the End.” Alice is a Titanic superfan, having seen the movie approximately one million times. In her innovative and hysterical show, she spins a wheel of iconic Titanic scenes, then performs them from memory. This will be at Gilded Balloon 30 July – 15 August!

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EdFringe Talk: Kevin Quantum: Unbelievable Magic for Non-Believers

Posted in *Written Interviews, EdFestivals 2025 by

“I came here as a physics student back in two thousand and cough… wide-eyed and under-slept, and ended up staying — mostly because of the Fringe.”

WHO: Kevin Quantum

WHAT: “This classic building in the heart of the New Town is now the centre of a fantastic festival hub, hosting some of the finest theatre, comedy and music from around the world. The Assembly Rooms hosts three spaces indoors: the Music Hall, Ballroom and Drawing Room, with a Spiegeltent (The Bijou) and a studio space (Front Room) outside on George Street.”

WHERE: Ballroom at Assembly Rooms (Venue 20) 

WHEN: 19:40 (60 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

Not even close. I came here as a physics student back in two thousand and cough… wide-eyed and under-slept, and ended up staying — mostly because of the Fringe. I’ve been part of this madness as a performer, a producer, and occasionally as a punter pretending I’m not taking notes. What makes Edinburgh so special is that every corner of the city turns into a stage — every cafe, vault, and broom cupboard could be hosting the next great disaster or masterpiece. It’s chaotic, it’s exhausting, and it’s utterly addictive.

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

I’ve learned that more people than expected genuinely believe the Earth is flat. That being on a reality TV show (Faking It, 2005) statistically makes me 26.2% more likely to become President of the United States. And that the human body can conduct a million volts of electricity without harm. Just about. I think. We’ll see how August goes.

Tell us about your show.

The show’s called Unbelievable Magic for Non-Believers and, fittingly, I didn’t write it — not in the traditional sense. It’s been built through live experimentation, late-night rewrites, and gasps from the crowd that told me I was onto something. I perform it, co-created it with my director Rhys Morgan (who’s also worked with Derren Brown amongst others), and I’m producing it through my company Quantum Productions (which sounds far more Bond-villainy than it is). This version premieres at the Fringe — although the ideas have been haunting me for years — and we’re planning to tour it to science festivals, dark comedy venues, and anywhere else that enjoys a reality-bending identity crisis with a sense of humour.

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

After Unbelievable Magic, go see Robyn Perkins — razor-sharp, science-savvy comedy with heart. Then catch Rosco McClelland, who performs like a hurricane in a hoodie. And don’t miss Matt Parker — the only person who can make maths feel like stand-up and witchcraft at the same time. (Rhys, who helped shape my show, also worked on his — and it shows.) Fringe is full of brilliant minds. Follow the ones that mess with yours in the best possible way.

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EdFringe Talk: The Listies: Make Some Noise

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“After Fringe, we’re touring it across Australia, everywhere from city arts centres to towns with more sheep than people.”

WHO: Rich and Matt

WHAT: “Back by POOPular demand. For over a decade kids comedy maestros The Listies have toured the world doing shows for literally gazillions of kidults (that’s kids and their adults). Now it’s your turn. Make Some Noise! is a comedy concert for humans aged 4-400. Join Rich and Matt, as they belt out a bunch of songs with the LOLs turned up to 11. Hilarious, fabulous fun for the whole family! ‘Without a doubt the funniest kids show I’ve ever seen’ (Frank Skinner). ***** (Time Out). ***** (List).”

WHERE: Studio One at Assembly George Square Studios (Venue 17) 

WHEN: 11:30 (60 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

Absolutely not. In fact, this is our twelfth time here (we’ve got the flyering-induced RSI to prove it). We started off doing absurd late-night cabaret in Spiegeltents and now we perform at 11:40 AM which is PM’s more sensible(ish) cousin. This show sold out last year so it’s back by poopular demand.

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

You can eat too many tea cakes. The meadows are always slightly damp and record your spots on a zoom recorder cos they go great in your podcast! Oh and eat a vegetable.

Tell us about your show.

The Listies: Make Some Noise is a musical-ish comedy explosion for kids and their families. It’s loud, it’s ridiculous, and it involves fart jokes but also PowerPoint so it’s actually high brow, Also, inflatable arm-wavy guys, and a lot of audience participation. We wrote it together (we always do), and it’s produced by our company, The Listies. After Fringe, we’re touring it across Australia, everywhere from city arts centres to towns with more sheep than people. It’s also supported by the fab folks at House of Oz!

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

We love weird, wonderful theatre for young audiences from all around the world, puppets made out of junk, clown shows that feel like a fever dream, and any gig that has props you can’t take on a plane. Very novel to us Australians.
● @TrygveWakey – New Zealander Trygve Wakenshaw’s physical comedy is masterful and surreal and silly in all the best ways.
● @crashtheatre.co – Lady Macbeth Played Wing Defense! Netball+ Shakespeare. Fellow house of ozers bring this Adelaide Fringe Smash to Edinburgh for the first time. We haven’t seen it yet but can’t wait to see it.
● @comedyclub4kids –It’s a comedy club, right, but for kids. Also any adults who enjoy a swear-free hour with the international circuit’s best stand-ups and sketch acts. It’s our home away from home in Edinburgh!
● Something you have never heard of! It’s fringe-so allow yourself to get flyered and say yes! Take a risk, go and see an adaptation of Beckett played by carrots dressed in barbie clothes. Where else whill you see that?

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EdFringe Talk: The City for Incurable Women

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“It’s also one of the few places where it’s socially acceptable to chase people down the street. Well – you’ve got to sell those tickets somehow!”

WHO: Christina Deinsberger, Charlotte McBurney, Helena McBurney

WHAT: “Ladies and Gentlethem – Feeling a little upset? Have you tried hypnosis, psychoanalysis, smelling salts and it just doesn’t work? Try The City for Incurable Women! Paris, 1880s. In a psychiatric hospital, female patients performed “hysteria” for the public. The doctors went to extraordinary lengths to prove their theories about the four stages of madness. International theatre-collective, fish in a dress follows the thread of the history of hysteria as the audience becomes complicit in an outrageous tale of medical misogyny. (Warning: hysteria cure not included).”

WHERE: Upstairs at Pleasance Courtyard (Venue 33) 

WHEN: 13:35 (60 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

Charlie: Yes, this is our first time at Edinburgh Fringe! We are incredibly excited* to be a part of this year’s festival. Edfringe is the artistic hub where people congregate from around the world to share and celebrate live performance. It’s also one of the few places where it’s socially acceptable to chase people down the street. Well – you’ve got to sell those tickets somehow!

*slightly terrifie

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

Christina: Pretty much everything. Since the autumn of 2024 Charlie, Helena and I have formed a company, have written, developed and produced a play (for me this is the first own work outside of Germany) and now we are taking it to a massive festival – the past year has been slightly mad. Starting from scratch meant there was a lot of very fast learning necessary. I have learned that in the past people tried to cure hysteria with donkey urine; I also learned that this didn’t work very well (surprise!). I have learned how to operate QLab and direct simultaneously (okay, I do miss a cue every single time I have a note). And I have learned to give in to social media – after I had refused to set up an account for years, we now run one through fish in a dress, which has cost me several nights in discovering the endless abyss that is Instagram.

So far there has not been much time to absorb. We will do the absorbing after Fringe, and until then keep learning at full speed.

Tell us about your show.

Helena: The City for Incurable Women is devised by fish in a dress, a queer feminist theatre collective formed in 2024 by Christina Deinsberger, Charlie McBurney, and Helena McBurney. All three of us wrote and produced the play – but only Charlie performs in it!

fish in a dress came together as a company during an unforgettable walk in the deepest, darkest Highlands of Scotland. We discovered that although our map-reading skills were not completely spot on, and after hours of crawling over, under and through fallen trees, we still wanted to work together. So our first thought was: female madness. The City for Incurable Women tells the true story of a 19th century hospital in Paris where female patients were forced to perform “hysteria” to the public. It has had sold-out work-in-progress shows at Camden People’s Theatre, The Pleasance London, and The Old Operating Theatre, and will premiere in Edinburgh this summer at The Pleasance Courtyard, Upstairs! In the autumn, we return to Camden People’s Theatre.

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

Bury The Hatchet by Out Of The Forest Theatre. This show has it all: muder, mayhem, and bluegrass music!

Count Dykula. Queer vampires at high school? We’re in!

KINDER involves a drag artist, a library, and a group of unruly children. A recipe for chaos and creative storytelling.

FLUSH is playing right before us. Set entirely in the women’s bathroom of a night club, this is a sAmazons by Gaël Le Cornec. A fascinating look at the continued impacts of colonialism on the Amazon Rainforest. tory about sisterhood, safety and resilience.

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

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“We know that nothing should be taken for granted.”

WHO: Bilal Musa Huka

WHAT: “Fringe favourites the Black Blues Brothers are back with a brand-new show, fit for the whole family. After wowing over 50,000 fringe spectators, the Brothers make their McEwan Hall debut. Set in a smoky train station against a soundtrack of unforgettable rock and roll music, witness breathtaking acrobatic stunts, human pyramids and amazing somersaults. Featuring songs by Glenn Miller, Elvis Presley and Aretha Franklin, get ready to go wild as the Brothers astonish and delight. Following four successful Fringe seasons, appearances at the Royal Variety Show and The Moulin Rouge, don’t miss out!”

WHERE: Pleasance Online (Venue 117) 

WHEN: 15:30 (60 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

This is our fifth time at the Fringe. We came to Edinburgh for the first time in 2019. We immediately fell in love with it. There is no festival like it in the world, and we have toured the world!

This year we are bringing our new show and we can’t wait to introduce it to the audiences who have enjoyed it with us in previous years.

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

What we have learned… is that every year is different! Of course, experience helps you manage everything with more awareness, and the fact that in the past years more than 50,000 people came to see our show reassures us, but we know that nothing should be taken for granted. For this reason, we will give our best with the new show: there is new music, a new setting, and above all new and complicated acrobatics.

Tell us about your show.

After touring the world with the show The Blues Brothers, we started thinking, together with our artistic director Alexander Sunny, about a new show. We wanted to propose something new in terms of acrobatics, somersaults, acts. But at the same time, keep the joyful spirit of the first show. We came up with the idea of a waiting room in a train station, where five men pass the time listening to twist and rock’n’roll on the radio. A perfect soundtrack to indulge in new human pyramids and acrobatic exercises. Let’s Twist Again! has been performed in Italy and Europe, but it’s the first time at the Fringe. By the way, this year we are in the prestigious McEwan Hall, which is perhaps the most beautiful venue of the whole festival. It’s going to be a party!

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

There are so many sensational circus shows. We definitely recommend Wolf from the Circa company, because they always put on fascinating shows of the highest technical level. And then La Clique, which is a guarantee of fun, with the best circus acts around.

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EdFringe Talk: No Good Drunk

Posted in *Written Interviews, EdFestivals 2025 by

“I’ve learned is to pack my patience and carry a positive attitude everywhere I go. If I’m too tired or run down to smile, I force myself back into my flat to sleep until I can find the energy to bring a good vibe.”

WHO: Stacie Burrows

WHAT: “In this solo Southern Gothic drama blending film, theatre, original songs, and true stories, ‘LA-based Texan Stacie Burrows is good company’ (Scotsman). With a backdrop of dive bars and graveyards, Burrows goes to El Paso, Texas where her grandfather drank himself to death in the 50s and wound up buried in another woman’s grave. As she moves through generations of her family, we learn that history doesn’t always repeat itself, but it often rhymes. This is a tribute to the perseverance of women who carried on raising children despite being tethered to an addict.”

WHERE: Attic at Pleasance Courtyard (Venue 33) 

WHEN: 12:50 (60 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

This will be my third EdFringe show. I took Bulletproof Unicorn in 2022 and Laughable in 2024. I’m one of those masochists that starts writing the next show the minute I get home from the previous festival. I adore the Fringe and the magic that it brings into my life. I get to meet and support artists from all over the world. I am always so excited to see so much creativity on display, to hear unique stories, and mingle with fellow artists. There is an air of positivity that permeates the entire city. I live for this.

I consider it a great festival if I have met new friends. We go through it together, celebrating the hits and commiserating our misses. It’s a reunion of sorts for some of us. As a punter, I’m genuinely motivated by connecting with my audience on the streets. Striking up an organic conversation and then winning them over to see the show is a thrill.

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

My biggest lesson that I’ve learned is to pack my patience and carry a positive attitude everywhere I go. If I’m too tired or run down to smile, I force myself back into my flat to sleep until I can find the energy to bring a good vibe. As a solo performer, it’s my face & name on the billboard. So, if someone has a negative experience with me because I was stressed or tired, I have only myself to blame. I save the tears of burnout and exhaustion for behind closed doors. I have also learned to keep my expectations at a reasonable level. No one owes me anything. I am entitled to nothing. I have to earn whatever good is coming my way.

Tell us about your show.

No Good Drunk was a collaboration of incredible talent from across Los Angeles. I wrote the script, as it is based on true stories about the generations of my family that were upended by alcoholism. The music was co-written by me and Sam Small. Sam Small is an LA-based singer/songwriter/producer who is known for his melodic psychedelic folk rock. His prowess as a poet made him the perfect partner in telling these stories through song. We went into Kevin Jarvis’ studio, Sonic Boom Room, Venice to record the soundtrack with a full band. The album will be released on Spotify in July.

The film elements were shot and edited by LA-based production companies Goode & Dunn and Musebelle LLC.

My stage director Katierose Donohue Enriquez walks the line between humour and tragedy like none other. She guides the development of the story with passion, heart and determination.

I did a workshop performance in Los Angeles as part of the Hollywood Fringe Festival in June 2025. My hope is that No Good Drunk finds success in the marketplace and has an opportunity to tour across the UK and US.

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

I have so many favorites! Here are a few: Michael Traffeur stuns in The Pink List, Briony Price has a voice that will blow you away, Garry Star amuses and delights, Cat Cohen makes me snort-laugh, Furiozo is the clown to watch, and John Norris in Mr. Chonkers is the most absurd thing I’ve ever seen.

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