Tag Archives: EdFringe

EdFringe Talk: Sid Singh: Love Bombing

Posted in *EdFestivals 2026, *Written Interviews by

“I was so burnout on politics that I went on a date with my stalker!”

WHO: Sid Singh

WHAT: “Award-winning comedian Sid Singh returns to fight the good fight! The only show that makes you laugh and teaches you how to stand up to the Trump administration! Sid will help you lament the world being on fire while also telling you about the only thing more disastrous than the state of the world: his love life. ‘This generation’s Jon Stewart!’ (Madrid Con Comedy).”

WHERE: The Lounge at Laughing Horse @ The Counting House (Venue 170) 

WHEN: 16:15 (60 min)

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Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

This is my 11th fringe since 2012! I love the Fringe it’s the biggest festival in the world and a chance to showcase your show to one of the most diverse collections of middle class Brits ever assembled!

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

The biggest thing I learned is that I’m burnout and have no idea how to fix that. I tried moving to Barcelona and I must admit it has made me happier on a day to day level but it has not changed how burnt out I feel about the world!

Tell us about your show.

My show Sid Singh: Love Bombing is a complete self produced show about the time earlier this year that I was so burnout on politics that I went on a date with my stalker! The show seeks to once again try to raise money for The Center for Gender and Refugee Studies in America! That is why after the fringe I will be taking it all over America, Europe, and India to try and raise money to fight the good fight!

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

Go watch Clayton Smith’s fundraiser “F*ck Donald Trump,” take a chance on Kanan Gill to see one of the best working comics in India return to the field, watch Mr Thing and bask in the silliness, watch Liz Coin and get inspired, check out Alex Farrow and feel deep, and watch as many compilation shows as you can so you know who to watch after that!

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EdFringe Talk: Mandy: Prince of Darkness

Posted in *EdFestivals 2026, *Written Interviews by

“Be bright, be excellent – and remember, nobody asked you to do this!”

WHO: Richard Stirling

WHAT: “Peter Mandelson, the Machiavelli of our times. His rise and fall, rise and rise and fall – and beyond? In nothing but his own words.”

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

WHEN: 10:30 (50 min)

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Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

I was last at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2022, in Cecil Beaton’s Diaries, about the famous photographer and designer (and caustic wit). After Edinburgh, this went to London and Off Broadway. So I know how the Fringe can act as a brilliant launchpad. And for me, the potential for discovery is what makes a great Festival, and this is one quality Edinburgh is never without.

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

Lessons reaffirmed, rather than learned, are what I have valued in the last year. Be bright, be excellent – and remember, nobody asked you to do this!

In other words, have fun. There is everything to play for.

Tell us about your show.

Mandy: Prince of Darkness goes in close on the Machiavelli of our times.

He has been part of the national psyche for over three scandalous decades.

Why did people always come back for more?

This is Mandy in his own words. Often appalling, frequently wickedly funny.

They say the devil has the best tunes.

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

After Party (Traverse). Excellent actors. Great co-pro house, Belgrade Coventry. And a cast of top-rank Scottish actors like Alison Peebles in it.

Ginger Johnson: Show Pony (WIP) (Shedinburgh). Funny! Ginger is always transgressive, in every way, with a sense of humour which bounces off the walls.

Wrap Party (Greenside George Street). In the same venue as me, so an easy hike. Looks like a real laugh, especially if you have been on film sets.

The Bloody Ballad of Bette Davis (Assembly Roxy). With a title like that, rude not to. And this looks a lot more imaginative than most horror-movie spoofs.

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EdFringe Talk: Meteors

Posted in *EdFestivals 2026, *Written Interviews by

“I worked in Ticketing at the Edinburgh Fringe last year, and feel like it’s given me a lay of the land.”

WHO: Melissa Pullinger

WHAT: “Grief. Stars. Mums. Lasagne. ‘Among the more than a thousand works on offer in the Fringe, Meteors is likely a standout – both entertaining and emotional, offering a chance for real connection’ ***** (InDaily.com.au). Grief isn’t part of the conversation. Especially not as a young person. No one knows what to say, so it’s simply left unsaid. An acclaimed breakout at the 2026 Adelaide Fringe, Melissa traverses the messy, non-linear aftermath of losing a mother at age 20, the vastness of the universe, too many lasagnes and the search for light in the dark.”

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

WHEN: 21:00 (60 min)

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Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

This will be our first Edinburgh Fringe as performers, and the first time our company, The CRAM Collective, have toured a show outside of Adelaide, Australia!

As Adelaide locals, we have worked at the Adelaide Fringe for multiple years and premiered this show, Meteors there this year. It was an incredibly successful season, resulting in multiple sold out shows, 5 star reviews and 4 awards, including the prestigious Create SA Edinburgh Fringe Award. This award has given us the opportunity to bring the show over to Edinburgh and we can’t wait to perform for international audiences.

I worked in Ticketing at the Edinburgh Fringe last year, and feel like it’s given me a lay of the land, so we’re really looking forward to coming over with our own show and performing at Summerhall.

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

The last 12 months have been pretty incredible for myself as a performer, and also for our company, CRAM.

The idea for Meteors began during my time at university, when I did a 3 minute devised piece on grief as a young person. Over the last 7 years, I slowly chipped away at writing a script and then last year we received the Centre Stage Residency at The Mill, a popular arts venue in Adelaide. It was incredible to have multiple development periods, honing the script and finding what it is to present an autobiographical, one-woman show. It was also amazing to see how Meteors resonated with audiences of all demographics, proving the importance of this story and the type of work that we can create as an emerging theatre company.

Throughout the season, I found the importance of being absolutely present with the audience, ensuring a vulnerability and connection that is vital to the show. I also learnt a lot about myself as a performer, including pacing myself and not getting swept up in the craziness of festival season – which I know is something that’ll be key for our month long run in Edinburgh!

Tell us about your show.

Meteors is an autobiographical, one woman show about mums, stars, grief and lasagne.

I started writing the show following the death of my mum when I was 20, when I realised how isolating grief can feel as a young person. Seven years since losing my mum, I have a deeper understanding of my own grief, as well as the ability to reflect back on harder times.
I know what it’s like to lose a parent, at a time when other young adults can’t even fathom it. I understand the waves of grief that hit when you least expect it, and I know how uncomfortable this conversation can be.

Meteors is produced and created by, The CRAM Collective, a South Australian independent theatre company. Co-founded by myself and 3 graduates from Drama School, we cram the most passionate and daring creatives into a room, making work that is both bold and authentic, encouraging audiences to challenge and redefine their points of view. Director of Meteors and co-founder of CRAM, Connor Reidy, also lost his mum when he was 24 and we’re incredibly proud to share this story.

Meteors premiered at the Adelaide Fringe, winning 4 awards and we now can’t wait to share it with Edinburgh audiences.

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

How Not to Make it In America by Theatre Republic – A fellow South Australian company with a one-man show performing next door to us! We’ve seen this piece grow since its premiere in 2021, and now we can’t wait to see it performed for Edinburgh audiences. Jim Smith is a powerhouse onstage and delivers a tour de force of a performance.

Millicent Sarre is Too Tired to Smash (Patriarchy) – Mim is an incredible cabaret performer and an icon at Adelaide Fringe. This is her first time in Edinburgh and we cannot recommend enough!

My Grandpa Doesn’t Follow Me On Instagram – Yoz is a very talented artist and we were lucky enough to both develop and perform our shows at The Mill in Adelaide! Get along and support this show full of queer joy!

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EdFringe Talk: Woman Seeking Cuddles

Posted in *EdFestivals 2026, *Written Interviews by

“I have tried to learn the art of letting go.”

WHO: Ren McAslan

WHAT: “Harper unknowingly slept with her sperm-donor father. After that, nothing was ever quite the same. Making its Edinburgh Fringe debut from New York City, this darkly comic, confessional one-woman show traces that event’s fallout – as shame, grief and reckless desire collide in one woman’s messy, defiant search for love. In a landscape of dating apps, modern polyamory and kink acronyms, boundaries blur and destiny feels algorithm-driven. Raw, funny and unflinchingly honest, Emmy-nominated writer Renwick McAslan asks, in a culture obsessed with connection, why is it still so hard to feel held?”

WHERE: Stephenson Theatre at theSpace @ Surgeons’ Hall (Venue 53) 

WHEN: Varies (50 min)

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Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

I was a student at Edinburgh University from 2008 – 2012. During that time, I co-founded a theatre company, and we took a show called 6766 to The Fringe in 2011. We were fortunate to perform at midnight for 20 evenings at The Roxy Arthouse. That said, I made the epic mistake of acting in the show itself. I was awful. My mum said I was 90% nostril flair. Now, I just stick to writing. It’s a rare gift to be able to head to The Fringe again. The city has my heart.

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

Oh, great question! I have tried to learn the art of letting go. Letting go of guilt, regret, behaviors, relationships – anything that feels ‘old’ has needed to go. Like skin I’ve attempted to shred. It’s a daily pursuit, but I’m trying!

Tell us about your show.

The show is a one-woman play called Woman Seeking Cuddles. It is about one woman’s struggle to find love and connection in a world where destiny feels algorithm-driven. We had a preview show in New York – a sell out at The Tank. It got a standing ovation, too. I wept.

The show follows Harper, who unknowingly slept with her sperm-donor father, and after that, nothing was ever quite the same. It’s darkly comic, confessional, and traces that event’s fallout – as shame, grief and reckless desire collide. The show asks, in a culture obsessed with connection, why is it still so hard to feel held?

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

There are over 3,000 shows at Fringe – and I suspect every single one will have great merit. Specifically, stand-up comedy has a great, rich history at The Fringe. Audiences should try to see as much as they can. The next Billy Connolly is likely to be out there, somewhere! I’m looking forward to seeing Keely Hazel’s ‘Everyone Has Seen My Tits.’

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EdFringe Talk: Craig Hill: You’re Not Even Safe Up the Back!

Posted in *EdFestivals 2026, *Written Interviews by

“I love doing Ed Fringe as much as I ever did. It’s like getting on a rollercoaster for a month.”

WHO: Craig Hill

WHAT: “You saw his entrance last year, now Craig bounces back so lock the exits! Belt up for a thrilling, quick-fire comedy flight, packed with razor-sharp wit and spontaneity. He’s behind you! Actually, he’s in front of you and there’s nowhere to hide! A Fringe favourite with wide appeal, Hill has audiences in paroxysms of laughter, barely able to breathe before take off again. Strap yourself in! Expect electric energy, fearless improvisation and the kind of live comedy that turns rooms upside down. ‘Craig Hill live is a revelation’ (Scotsman).”

WHERE: Just The Atomic Room at Just The Tonic Nucleus (Venue 393) 

WHEN: 19:25 (60 min)

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Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

I should’ve called my show ‘28 Years Later’, because this is my 28th year at the Fringe in row! But I felt like I’d heard that title somewhere? 😂

I love doing Ed Fringe as much as I ever did. It’s like getting on a rollercoaster for a month. I think each night brings the energy for the following night and as a comedian it’s unusual to do so many shows all in one month so it’s quite a buzz!

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

The faster paced life gets the more you need to make the time to chill and enjoy it. Put your phone on airplane mode for an hour and turn off. I’m getting a bit too good at that. Almost anything that comes up, can be managed an hour later.

Tell us about your show.

It’s me doing an hour of stand-up comedy about everything that has made me laugh in the last year and excitedly going to discover who the audience are and having great fun with them. The audience are such a big part of my show and I really get quite excited about meeting them! I just love that feeling of not knowing what’s gonna happen. It really keeps you on your toes!

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

Go see ‘Conk’ from Australia. The idea of someone doing a show where they sing the same song over and over again absolutely intrigues me and I can’t wait to see it. My friends in Australia were raving about it so I think that’s one to watch.

Also go see ‘Flop’, a brilliant one man musical show I saw last year that I’m really pleased is coming back

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EdFringe Talk: The Spy Network

Posted in *EdFestivals 2026, *Written Interviews by

“The original version of The Spy Network was over fifty pages long, packed with brilliant ideas, historical rabbit holes and unexpected twists. Refining it into a fast-paced 50-minute Fringe show has meant making some difficult decisions…”

WHO: Leanne Taylor

WHAT: “On the morning of February 8, 1587, Mary, Queen of Scots enters the great hall where she’ll soon be executed for treason. There she meets Barnaby Fulke, an enigmatic actor sent to provide merriment before the chop. With one last chance to set the record straight, Mary stages her story, revisiting the spies, secrets and betrayals that sealed her fate. Secret codes, espionage and treason propel this gripping three-hander through Scotland’s turbulent past. But history isn’t always written until the last act and in the life of Mary, there is still one final scene left to play.”

WHERE: Thistle Theatre at Greenside @ Riddles Court (Venue 16) 

WHEN: 13:50 (50 min)

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Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

As a company, this is actually our first Fringe experience. I’ve been many times as an audience member and our director performed a very long time ago. The things we remember most from those experiences are just feeling the excitement and buzz of the city. This huge monster of creativity, it’s incredibly powerful. The whole company are stupidly excited about being part of that. We have no real idea of what might happen and that’s very invigorating, as well as a little terrifying.

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

One of the biggest lessons has been learning how to take a show created through genuine collaboration with young people and prepare it for the Fringe without losing what made it special in the first place. We work with NEET (Not in Education, Employment or Training) young people over eight months, giving them the freedom to shape every aspect of a new production. They choose the subject matter, challenge ideas, question assumptions and work alongside professional theatre-makers to create a script that is truly their own.

The original version of The Spy Network was over fifty pages long, packed with brilliant ideas, historical rabbit holes and unexpected twists. Refining it into a fast-paced 50-minute Fringe show has meant making some difficult decisions, but we’ve been determined to preserve the humour, curiosity and originality that came from the young people’s imaginations. Their questions about history – whose voices are heard, whose are missing, and whether we can ever really know the truth – have become the beating heart of the production.

Perhaps the biggest lesson is the same one audiences discover in The Spy Network: never accept the first version of the story. Question it, test it, and be prepared to see it differently.

Tell us about your show.

The production was developed through Shooting Fish Theatre Company’s collaborative new writing process. Rather than beginning with a completed script, we spent eight months working alongside a group of NEET (Not in Education, Employment or Training) young people from Gainsborough, Lincolnshire, co-creating the story from scratch. Participants researched history, debated evidence, explored different interpretations of Mary’s life and helped shape the script alongside our professional creative team. The idea itself came from one young person with an infectious enthusiasm for Mary, Queen of Scots, and his passion quickly won the rest of the group over.

The final script was written by writer Neil Edwards, drawing together the ideas, research and creative contributions generated through the co-creation process. The production is Directed by Emily Bignell, produced by Leanne Taylor, designed by Laura Cordery with a team of professional actors bringing the story to life.

Our production offers audiences the chance to engage with the story of an incredibly important Scottish icon in a city steeped in history. The story is absolutely fascinating and will provide a refreshing take on historical events. It’s a quality production, performed by 3 incredible actors who give an absolute masterclass in performance, slipping seamlessly between characters.
The Spy Network premiered at Trinity Arts Centre in Gainsborough in 2025, where it received a fantastic response from local audiences. Since then, we’ve refined the production into a tighter, faster-paced Fringe version while preserving the humour, and collaborative spirit that made the original so distinctive.

Following Edinburgh, our ambition is to tour The Spy Network in 2027. We’re using the Fringe as a launchpad: testing and refining the production, connecting with venue programmers and presenters, and building a strong body of reviews and audience feedback. Every performance, conversation and opportunity in Edinburgh is part of our strategy to give the show the best possible life beyond the Festival and introduce it to audiences across the UK.

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

One of the best things about the Fringe is stumbling across work that surprises you, and we’re hoping to do plenty of that this year. We just need to find time to lock ourselves away with the programme (because who doesn’t love the printed version?) somewhere between PR, producing and performing!

If we had to pick a few shows, we’re really looking forward to Bloody Marys by Blue Fire Theatre Company at theSpace @ Venue 45. A show celebrating the many remarkable Marys throughout history feels like the perfect companion piece to The Spy Network, and we’re intrigued to discover which Mary we’d each invite to dinner.

Gravity & Other Myths (Main Hall at Assembly Hall) is also right at the top of our list. We saw them last year and were completely blown away by the athleticism, creativity and the insane precision of their work. It’s one of those rare shows that has you on the edge of your seat the entire show!

We’re also excited to see ROLEPLAY (Summerhall). As a female-led theatre company, we’re always interested in work that explores women’s voices and experiences in bold and original ways. Its darkly funny take on feminism, identity and the pressure of creating a personal brand really struck a chord.

And finally, Goodbye Dandelion (Belly Dancer at Underbelly) has caught our eye. It sounds funny, and moving, exploring friendship, loss and what it means to really live. It’s exactly the sort of storytelling that makes Edinburgh such a special place to spend a month.

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EdFringe Talk: Tomatoes Tried to Kill Me but Banjos Saved My Life

Posted in *EdFestivals 2026, *Written Interviews by

“We have found that the more vulnerable we make this show, the more profound the impact is on audience members.”

WHO: Keith Alessi

WHAT: “‘Storytelling at its best!’ (Playbill.com). Sold-out runs in 2023, 2024 and 2025. This highly awarded, internationally touring, inspirational true story is about overcoming obstacles, pursuing passions and the healing power of the arts, and is told with warmth, humour and banjo music! Through donations, including 100% of all artist fees, the show has raised over $1.2 million dollars (CAD) as of December 2025 for various charities, including cancer organisations, music programmes, community groups and artist funding and development. All proceeds from this Edinburgh Fringe run will benefit Summerhall Arts.”

WHERE: TechCube 0 at Summerhall (Venue 26) 

WHEN: 11:40 (60 min)

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Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

This is our 5th consecutive year performing this show at Edinburgh Fringe. It is the highlight of our touring year. We donate 100% of our ticket sales to our venues to support artist development for others. We will hopefully raise our 100,000th GBP during this run, which will remain in Edinburgh. It is important to us that we take away the financial barriers so that others get to have this experience. We love to pay it forward.

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

We have found that the more vulnerable we make this show, the more profound the impact is on audience members. It’s a true story and the authenticity is felt. We have learned that the more you reveal in a true and honest way, the more powerful the show is.

Tell us about your show.

The show is written and performed by Keith Alessi, directed and produced by Erika Conway. Keith first met Erika in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada where he was running a business. Years later, in 2018, this true story was presented at the Toronto Fringe Festival. Since then, it has been performed almost 500 times in 6 countries on 3 continents. Our 100th performance in Edinburgh will occur on August 11. After Edinburgh we will be touring Western Canada in the fall.

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

We always love David Colvin’s “Thunderstruck” and catch it every year. Fellow Canadian Melanie Gall is always doing something great, we are looking forward to seeing her new show “The Ballad of Isobel Gunn”. England’s Mason King is an outstanding mentalist and always brings a good show. He is bringing a show this year called “The Mind Spy”. And Canadian singer/ songwriter, Duane Forrest, has a Nat King Cole show “Tenderly” that we really want to see.

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EdFringe Talk: John Achkar: His country is collapsing. He’s having a baby. So obviously, this is the right year…

Posted in *EdFestivals 2026, *Written Interviews by

“Fear is a much worse decision-maker than failure.”

WHO: John Achkar

WHAT: “During the Festival Fringe in Edinburgh, the Caves transform into a captivating labyrinth of creativity and performance unlike any other. Tucked away beneath the city’s bustling streets, these ancient underground chambers provide a uniquely atmospheric setting for an eclectic array of shows and events. Stepping into the Caves during the Fringe is like entering another world altogether. The dimly lit passageways and rugged stone walls create an otherworldly ambiance.”

WHERE: Just The Spare Room at Just The Tonic at The Caves (Venue 88) 

WHEN: 15:40 (60 min)

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Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

Not quite. I came to Edfringe last year as an audience member, so this is my first time performing at the Fringe. Experiencing it from the audience made me appreciate what makes it so special. For one month, the entire city seems to revolve around storytelling. You can walk into a room with no expectations and discover your new favourite comedian, or spend an hour watching something completely outside your comfort zone. There’s a real sense of curiosity that’s hard to find anywhere else.

Coming back as a performer feels very different. Last year I was watching people take risks on stage; this year I’m the one taking the risk. That’s exciting because the Fringe rewards originality and honesty. Nobody comes because they already know you, they come because they’re open to discovering something new. As someone performing his first full English-language show, I can’t think of a better place to test whether stories really can travel across languages and cultures.

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

The biggest lesson has probably been that fear is a much worse decision-maker than failure. This year I became a father, started writing stand-up in my third language, and realised I’d spent years convincing myself that my accent was the thing holding me back. It wasn’t. It was the fear of being judged, of starting over, of no longer being good at something I’d spent years building. I’m not sure I’ve fully absorbed the lesson yet because I still get nervous before every show.

But I have learned that confidence doesn’t usually come before you do something scary, it comes afterwards. Sometimes you have to act before you feel ready. Fatherhood reinforced that idea. You quickly realise there’s no perfect moment to take the next step. At some point, you just have to trust yourself and figure it out along the way. It turns out that’s true in comedy too.

Tell us about your show.

I wrote the show, but I’ve been super lucky to have an amazing team around me. It’s directed by my friend and performance Raffi Feghali, who has helped shape my Arabic tours over the past few years.

Producing the show are Salam & Holohan, who are behind some of the most exciting comedy shows at the Edinburgh Fringe. Having a team with that experience has made the whole process of bringing my first English-language show to the festival feel a lot less daunting.

The show has been developing over the past year through work-in-progress performances in different countries. It’s been an interesting process because I haven’t been translating an Arabic show into English—I’ve been rebuilding it from the ground up. Some stories survived almost unchanged, while others had to be completely be rewritten because what makes people laugh isn’t always the same as what makes them connect.

Edinburgh is the official premiere of the full show. After that, I’d love to keep performing it internationally. The whole project started with a simple question: can a story travel across languages without losing what makes it human? I hope Edinburgh is just the beginning of finding out.

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

One of the best things about the Fringe is accidentally discovering someone you’ll be talking about for years, so I’d encourage people to take a chance on someone they’ve never heard of. If you can, go and see Gianmarco Soresi, his writing is incredibly sharp and I’ve learned a lot from watching him. Alaa Shehadeh is another comedian I’m excited about because I love the way he tells stories, and if Janine Harouni or Daniel Sloss are performing while you’re there, they’re absolutely worth your time. More generally, I’d say this: leave a few empty slots in your schedule. Some of the best Fringe experiences happen when you wander into a tiny room knowing nothing about the act and walk out wondering why everyone isn’t talking about them already. That’s the magic of the festival.

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EdFringe Talk: 11½ Angry Men

Posted in *EdFestivals 2026, *Written Interviews by

“Clearly, I have not learned any lessons – because I am back.”

WHO: Guy Masterson

WHAT: “Edinburgh Fringe 2003’s legendary classic 12 Angry Men returns, hilariously spoofed as 11½ very angry comedians attempt to decide the fate of a boy accused of heinous murder in 1950s NYC… Will a lethal German sausage save him? Or send him sizzling to Old Sparky? The jurors: Stephen K Amos, Joe Pasquale (Fringe debut!), Tom Stade, Spencer Jones, Mark Maier, Glenn Wool, JJ Whitehead, Ian Coppinger, Terry Alderton, Phil Nichol, David Calvitto and Owen O’Neill seek a unanimous verdict while the evidence against him stinks, but can they find their way to a conviction? Director: Guy Masterson.”

WHERE: Pentland Theatre at Pleasance at EICC (Venue 150b) 

WHEN: 14:30 (80 min)

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Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

No… this is my 32nd consecutive Fringe – excluding COVID, of course. Some years have been busier than others. In my first, in 1994, I experimented with two shows. One of them – Under Milk Wood – has continued to now, and I have given over 2,000 performances.

Other years – such as 2013 – I have only presented a single performance, just to say I did it! Mostly, I have presented a raft of shows. In 2001, I presented 11! This year I am presenting five.

I use the word “presenting” for shows in which I have no creative input. I just mount them in Edinburgh because I want them to be seen there and, hopefully, go on to bigger futures. Usually, however, I have some creative involvement as writer or co-writer, but mainly as director, and many of these I actually “produce” – meaning I have financial responsibility for them, including any losses…

This year, I am producing or co-producing all five! (Gulp.)

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

Clearly, I have not learned any lessons – because I am back. Two years ago, I made a big announcement about never coming back! But I had made promises that I had to keep, so last year I put on two shows, and this year four projects that had been on the burner for several years came to fruition. The fifth is a 25th anniversary show.

Tell us about your show.

11½ Angry Men is a parody of the classic 12 Angry Men, which I and a group of stand-up comedians put on to great acclaim in 2003. In 2001, we tried to get the rights to remount it for its 20th anniversary but were denied them, so Owen O’Neill wrote the parody instead.

Again, we put together a cast of big-name comedians, who are all co-producers, inasmuch as they are sharing the risk to do it. They will only be paid if it makes a profit… so they are, in effect, banking on that! We hope that it will transfer to the West End.

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

Apart from all my shows and artists, rush to see anything by Twighlight Theatre (Play on Words by Brian Dykstra and Brian Parks’ The Problem), The Bob Ross Effect with Sarah-Louise Young, all at Assembly; Mike McShane in The Event… at Pleasance; Phil Nichol, The Naked Racist & Aren’t We Lucky, at Gilded Balloon; Spencer Jones, Dogs, at Pleasance; Glenn Wool Is Luv (sic) at The Beehive; Tom Stade Rules at The Stand; Mark Maier’s Jewvenile at Gilded Balloon; Joe Pasquale and Terry Alderton in Conversation at Pleasance Cabaret Bar; Andrew Maxwell at Pleasance EICC.

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EdFringe Talk: The New Year

Posted in *EdFestivals 2026, *Written Interviews by

“This play embarrassed me for a long time.”

WHO: Max Rosenblum

WHAT: “A romantic tragicomedy following lonely teenagers who meet on New Year’s Eve in an online roleplay chatroom. May is May. Perry is British actor Matt Smith. Their conversation that night, unexpectedly intimate, forms a bond between the two: they become each other’s best friend, confidant, and lifeline through the turmoil’s of adolescence. That is, until “real life” intrudes…”

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

WHEN: 13:55 (60 min)

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Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

It’s my first time both attending Fringe and having a show up. Ditto for the rest of the team. Needless to say, we’re all very excited — both to share our work with a generous and open-minded audience, and to experience the work of fellow artists. Fringe has a reputation for hosting weird, bold, and funny work — which are my three favorite adjectives.

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

“Be embarrassing.”

This play embarrassed me for a long time. In part because of all of the normal writerly anxieties, but also because — though the play is not at all autobiographical — in writing it, I drew on feelings and experiences from my adolescence, which was obviously a deeply embarrassing time. Showing it to people felt akin to displaying pictures of myself at fourteen — awkward, pimply, etc. But as I began to share the play with friends and mentors, then collaborators, then audiences, I found that the bits that I most embarrassed by were often the moments that people connected to the most. So now when I’m writing I often remind myself to “be embarrassing,” because I’ve learned that’s how I do my best work.

Tell us about your show.

The first draft of The New Year was written as my undergrad thesis. I wanted to write a play about the excitement and pain and terror of first love, with the internet as a setting that is at once a barrier and a catalyst for intimacy. I’ve always loved how theatre can build worlds out of words, which is also sort of what is happening when you’re falling in love with someone over text. I tried to create a language and a rhythm for the “online dialogue” that didn’t match the actual syntax of how people text (no “LOLs” or emojis) but instead captured the feeling of those late nights spilling your soul to a stranger via a glowing screen. I also tried to make it funny.

If I succeed in any of these intentions it is in large part due to the support and contributions of my friends and collaborators who will be bringing this show to life in Edinburgh. Jake Keville, our director, was the first person to whom I sent the first draft of this play, back when it wasn’t very good yet. Since then he’s been instrumental in helping me make it good. As a director, he’s got a precise eye for blocking and rhythm in service of character relationships, and knows when to make you laugh and when to break your heart.

Our producers and stage managers, Zoe Gray and Kenzie Packer, are both writers as well and were part of the writers group in which I finally finished the play. Apart from that, they’ve experience putting up productions everywhere from standard blackboxes to bars and public parks, and I’m so grateful to have their creative and logistical brains to help make this show happen.

Connor, who plays Perry, has been connected to this project since we were both 17 and suitemates at a pre-college program. I don’t remember this, but apparently I told him about an idea I had about a girl making friends on the internet — several years before I remember starting to actively explore the idea. What I do remember is watching him rehearse a monologue in our dorm and thinking “oh, this guy’s good.” Seven years later, he’s even better. His role is one that requires the actor to create the character from limited textual evidence, to read between the lines, and Connor has done that with great depth and specificity.

Katy is the one person I didn’t know very well prior to this production. Jake and I were fans of her work in other shows, so we invited her to an informal workshop reading — and she totally blew us away. She not only understands the sensitivities and neuroses of the character but also her strength and unwavering energy, bringing it all to life with precision and considerable physical acting chops. She has a lot of material where, while writing it, I thought to myself: “Good luck with this one, actor,” and she makes it all look easy.

We had a three-night run at The Tank in New York City, our home turf, in May. People seemed to enjoy it. Now we can’t wait to share it with the Edinburgh audience.

As for the future… The play is written to be a sort of playground for actors and directors. There are no stage directions in most of it, and there are lots of different ways to cast that would create different angles on the story while still maintaining the core emotions of the play. So it would be cool if this became a play people want to do their own takes on, in universities or community theatres or wherever. But right now, I just feel so lucky to get to put it on with this group of friends and collaborators. I can’t really ask for more.

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

Tim Kenneth Kicks the Bucket by Brandon Kiziloz.

Brandon is a friend to many on our production, and also my former roommate. His play is, similarly to ours, a dark comedy about teenagers. But unlike ours, it contains philosophical musings, a whoopie pie, and an assault on a French street cleaner named Jacques. I got to catch it in NYC before he brought it to Fringe last year, and found it riveting and hilarious. He tells me it’s gotten better since, so I’m very excited to see it again.

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