“An interactive script HAS to keep developing through performances, and we know our Edinburgh run will continue to shape it as we gain more and varied experiences.”
WHO: Richie Schiraldi and Britt Anderson
WHAT: “Grab your finger-guns, comb your ‘stache and brace yourselves for the Well-Balanced Dads! Dick and Dale are taking the audience on a camping trip full of dad jokes, dance moves, acrobatics, movie references and unthreatening audience participation. This hilarious duo balances levity with deeper themes like finding your inner child, hypermasculinity and navigating life after the kids have flown the nest. ‘6 stars from this dad, 5 from the rest of the family!’ (Good Dad). ‘My face hurt from smiling’ (Good Kid). A show for anyone who is a dad, has a dad or wants a dad.”
WHERE: Alba Theatre at Braw Venues @ Hill Street (Venue 41)
WHEN: 16:30 (60 min)
MORE: Click Here!
Is this your first time to Edinburgh?
This will be our third Fringe in a row, fourth total. We love the magic of being in a city with thousands of other performing artists. All of our work relies on audience connection and play, and there is no other opportunity that offers such playful, eclectic audiences 23+ shows in a row! Due to travel and cost-efficiency, we often bring multiple shows each year — one that’s new, and at least one that’s a little more established. This year we’re bringing three: Well-Balanced Dads (new) and The Mothman Cometh and Arachne / Athena, both of which had great runs at Edinburgh and other fringe festivals last year.
What are the big things you’ve learned since 2025 and have you absorbed any of the lessons yet?
As we’ve been developing the latest iteration of Well-Balanced Dads over the last year, we’ve learned how to set different audience members up for success during audience participation moments, from 4 year olds to 40 year olds. An interactive script HAS to keep developing through performances, and we know our Edinburgh run will continue to shape it as we gain more and varied experiences. Also, we’ve learned the show plays to a much wider age range than we initially anticipated. We have a multigenerational show to offer, which is very exciting.
On the admin side, we’ve learned a lot about managing our capacity and how valuable it is to bring on another team member for specific tasks. This year we hired Rosaline Hodgetts for Marketing and PR and it has been amazing. We’ve been able to focus more of our energy on the creative aspects of the show.
Tell us about your show.
Well-Balanced Dads is a high-energy, family-friendly physical comedy about Dick and Dale, two acrobatic dads and best friends, navigating life after the kids have left the nest. To cope with their newfound freedom, they take the audience on a camping trip full of dad jokes, dance moves, acrobatics, movie references and unthreatening audience participation. This hilarious duo balances levity with deeper themes like finding your inner child, hypermasculinity and navigating a changing parent/kid relationship. This show began as a 3-minute bit for Broken Planet Show in 2023 that was concocted at midnight the night before. The act grew into 10 minutes, then two acts, then an hourlong show through a residency at Chicago Danztheatre Ensemble and premiered at Made in Chicago at Chicago’s international Physical Theater Festival.
We are Whisper Theatre Collective, a Chicago-based group of artists that cultivates physical, experimental and original theatre that would otherwise be self-produced. We (Britt Anderson and Richie Schiraldi) are the co-Artistic Directors. We formed the company coming out of grad school with three other artists, and we made our first appearance at the 2019 Edinburgh Fringe, where we produced two 30-minute works in a double billed slot. Since then, we’ve written 8 shows that have been performed in the US, UK, and Europe, and we currently have 3 active shows. For Well-Balanced Dads, the two of us are the writers, directors, designers, and performers. Edinburgh Fringe is the climactic midway point in our 2026 summer tour. We’ll be going to Cannonball Festival at Philly Fringe and Rochester Fringe this fall, and we’ve already had stops at Almanac’s Wild Horizons Festival, Green Bay Fringe, and Borderlight Fringe, where we won the Comedy Award!
What should your audience see at the festivals after they’ve seen your show?
Audiences should see Broken Planet Show, led by Callum Grant. It’s not only the original container for the Dads, but it’s a fun, wild, musical, interactive show in its own right.
Come see our other, darker adult-centric shows: Arachne / Athena and The Mothman Cometh!
For circus, go see The Pieces by Aloft Circus Arts!
For excellent clowning, go see Always, Sometimes Maybe by Michele Stine and The Letterman by Bryce Flint-Somerville!
For belly laughs and flirts, go see Lt Love Dr’s Boot Camp for Lonely People Like You by Chloe Matonis!
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