Feature Category: Interviews

Jack Parris is a member of the darkly comedic Bunkum Ensemble.  Jack won the  Pleasance’s Charlie Hattill Fund, which gave him the ability to bring his new show,  The Unstoppable Rise of Ben Manager to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. The show that features hefty powerpoints, puppetry, ants and an all powerful lanyard. We caught up with Jack to find out more.

How would you pitch The Unstoppable Rise of Ben Manager to fans of superhero movies?

So in the trailer there would be a big voice. The voice would say’ARE YOU READY FOR THE END OF WORK BEN?’ It would then cut to a close up of Ben Manager looking forlorn in front of an email thread. His lanyard would start to vibrate. He’d look down, and then grasp it before grabbing his jaw and writhing around on the floor. A colleague played by Scarlett Johansson would come over and ask if Ben was ok. He would gather himself together and feign strength. But inside he is terrified and as we zoom into his sweat framed brown we see a reflection of a big black rock that thrums menacingly in his pupils.

And how would you pitch it to someone who really liked Severance?

There’s a lot of weird overlap, despite writing it before I’d watched the show. I’d say exactly the same but it’s about about a severance that happened in childhood. Plus there’s live music and we don’t have budget for Christopher Walken

Why do we have so much nostalgia for childhood?

Because that’s where nostalgia lives. With my school friends. And on french campsites. And in the garden with the sprinkler on. It doesn’t live at my desk. Or in my emails. OR my to-do list. Not yet anyway

Is the age of the office coming to an end? Will we all work from home in the future?
No. Who will buy all the sandwiches from Pret? Capitalism needs us out of the house.

What’s the hardest thing you’ve done to get this show made?

Get up consistently before the child to write it and produce it.

How similar is this to other projects you’ve worked on?

Our shows are made using improvisation between music and physical action, so it’s similar in that respect. And our shows are dark and satirical and musical, so it’s pretty much got all the elements of a Bunkum show.

What is your favourite moment in the show?

I quite like getting slapped around by a tiny child puppet. Some stuff to work through there.

What’s next?

More shows. And we’re working on a new show called Honey Fungus which is about a giant orange mushroom that invades a town and starts giving everybody everything they ever dreamed of.

The Office (UK) or The Office (USA)?

Got to be the British Office, I do love the US version though

The Simpsons or Futurama?

Simpsons all day long

Truth or Beauty?

Sort of a trick questions that one. Can I have both?

The Unstoppable Rise Of Ben Manager runs from 30th Jul – 25th Aug. You can book tickets here. 

Check out our features on 2025’s Top Returning shows, and our keenly anticipated picks of new shows.

Dan Bishop is one half of the sketch-duo Mudfish (with Molly Windust) He is the writer of the brand new comedy play Brainsluts, which is coming to the Edinburgh Fringe this August. We caught up with him to find out more.

How would you pitch Brainsluts to a fan of movies like Limitless or The Matrix?
Whenever I was sick as a child and off school, I would always watch The Matrix and after the film finished I would take the DVD out of the DVD Player, stare vacantly at my pallid reflection in the shiny disk, and then immediately put it back in the DVD Player and watched it all over again. I loved The Matrix. This is exactly how you’ll feel about Brainsluts. I have not seen Limitless but I have heard terrible things.

And how would you pitch it to someone who only really watches sports?
If you love sports, you’ll love Brainsluts. It’s actually all an allegory for the Federer-Nadal 2008 Wimbledon final.

How relatable would you say this show is?
Very relatable! All of the characters in the play have signed up for the trial because they are unable to find full-time employment, and I think patchwork careers are really common at the moment, and maybe even more so for those working in the arts. So, I think Fringe audiences will really get what these characters are going through.

How many part-time jobs have you had, or have you lost count?
At any one time? Five. Well, six including ‘comedian’. So… five.

What was the worst part-time job experience you’ve had, and did it help inspire the show?
I cannot say in case I have to go crawling back to them after the Fringe.

Why the Edinburgh Fringe?
Because my short term contract ends on the 29th of July and I need something to do in August!

How similar is this to other projects you’ve worked on?
My most recent project has been trying to put up a pair of curtains in my room. They fell down on Christmas eve and I’ve been struggling to put them up ever since. The wood in my window frame has rotted too. I keep calling my landlord to see if they’ll pay for its repair but they keep telling me they can’t do anything until I’ve called Peter Bailey The Curtain King. But whenever I call Peter Bailey the Curtain King, he tells me he can’t do anything until I call my landlord. It’s really frustrating and it gets so light in the mornings and it’s actually really affecting my sleep. Anyway, this project is quite different to that.

What is your favourite moment in the show?
To be earnest for a second, there’s a fantastic moment involving a papier-mâché pizza.

What is a Brainslut?
‘Brainslut’ is a slang term for a participant of clinical drug trials.

Where else can we see you?
In the background of my Dad’s Whatsapp picture.

What’s next?
Trying to find a job.

Simpsons or Futurama?
Simpsons!

Vampires or Werewolves?
Werewolves!

Captain America or Captain Pugwash?
Pugwash!

Truth or Beauty?
Truth is beauty and beauty is truth and truth is love and love is brainsluts (2:45pm Pleasance 10 Dome)

Brainsluts is on at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe from 30th Jul – 25th Aug. You can book tickets here. 

Check out our features on 2025’s Top Returning shows, and our keenly anticipated picks of new shows.

We caught up with Jamie Walsh, the co-creator and writer of the The Uncrackable Case, a new show coming to this year’s Edinburgh Festival Fringe. It’s the result of a huge collaborative effort with Front Room Productions, director Olivia Race, dramaturg Alice Barber, composers Claire O’Connor and Bay Bryan. It’s a comedy court room drama featuring fairy tale characters. We caught up with Jamie to find out more.

How would you pitch Uncrackable Case to fans of Horrible Histories?

It’s fast, funny and packed with songs. A fever dream of mis-remembered fairytales, silly jokes and big characters. With a giant egg at the centre of it all.

And how would you pitch it to someone who is really into Once Upon A Time? 

The Uncrackable Case unravels fairy-tale characters with secrets, old grudges and a lot more drama than you remember from the storybooks.

What came first, the message or the story?

The story. We asked “What if Humpty Dumpty didn’t just fall. What if something more sinister occurred?” And that opened a whole can of worms that became this very insane musical.

What’s the oddest thing you’ve done to get this show made?

So many odd things. But probably go through the costume designs with our Set and Costume Designer Celia Perkins. All of the cast play many characters and we need to signify giant talking egg, pigs, a tin-foil-hat-wearing conspiracy theorist to name a few. Celia definitely rose to the challenge!

Why the Edinburgh Fringe?

We set out to make something FUN. And that’s what the fringe is all about. It’s the best place to test something new, meet audiences, and connect with other artists.

How similar is this to other projects you’ve worked on?

It’s playful, accessible, collaborative, which is what I usually aim for on projects. However, it’s more musical and more ridiculous than anything I’ve done before.

What is your favourite moment in the show?

My favourite part of the show is a raucous jazz club number back-to-back with a big power ballad. It should give you whiplash but it just works.

Is the Big Bad Wolf the original horror movie slasher, and why?

He definitely has that energy. Mysterious, misunderstood and always in the shadows.

Where else can we see you?

The Fringe is the main focus for now. But the plan is to tour in 2026/2027.

What’s next?

Get cracking with booking that tour…

Sleeping Beauty or Cinderella?

Cinderella. One night, one glass slipper and she makes a lasting impression. Unforgettable, even in wildly impractical footwear.

Wolves or Dragons?

Wolves.

Truth or Beauty?
Truth. Always more interesting.

You can book tickets for The Uncrackable Case here. It is running at the Edinburgh Fringe until the 25th of July. 

Check out our features on 2025’s Top Returning shows, and our keenly anticipated picks of new shows.

Sasha Wilson is an LAMDA-trained actor, musician and writer. She founded Out Of The Forest Theatre in 2017 andis known for their historically driven, often macabre, feminist work. We caught up with them to find out more about their Lizzie Borden inspired Edinburh Festival Fringe show, Bury The Hatchet.

How would you pitch Bury The Hatchet to fans of True Crime Podcasts?

Bury The Hatchet is for the armchair detectives, the midnight Reddit scrollers, the ones who keep a running list of red flags and never say no to “just one more episode.” It’s a foot-stomping, multi-rolling, darkly comic dive into the Lizzie Borden case—but told from a perspective the headlines never gave her.

If you love My Favorite Murder, You’re Wrong About, or Criminal, and you’re curious about how media, gender, and murder intersect—you’ll want in on this one.

And how would you pitch it to someone who is into slasher movies?

Our show is the lovechild of Pearl and Six Feet Under, all a gothic New England nightmare and a mortician’s eye for gallows humour.

Did you grow up with the nursery rhyme? 

Well, I grew up just down the road from Fall River, Massachusetts and I knew it well! She is our local boogeyman.

Why Bluegrass murder ballads?

Necessity was the mother of invention! When we first staged the show back in 2018 we were young and broke and only had enough pennies to rub together to spring for some period appropriate costume. I then racked my brain for how else to conjure a sense of time and place and it occurred to me that music can transport us, so I looked up old folk tunes and murder ballads to set the scene.

Is any telling of Borden’s story going to be inherently pollical? Is the story worth telling without a political angle?

I don’t think you can tell the story of Lizzie Borden without engaging with the politics of gender, class, and media. This is a woman whose innocence or guilt was decided largely through hearsay and headlines.

To retell that story without interrogating why she was viewed the way she was and how women continue to be tried in the court of public opinion would feel like a missed opportunity.

That said, this isn’t a lecture. The show is an absolute romp: there’s bluegrass, blood, and multi-rolling mayhem. But bubbling underneath all of that is a serious thesis — about how we shape narratives, how quickly we flatten women into villains, and how much fun the public has stringing them up. We’re not just retelling a murder mystery. We’re asking: why do we still love watching women do the hangman’s shuffle?

What’s the zaniest thing you’ve done to get this show made?

I emailed the owners of the Lizzie Borden Bed and Breakfast and convinced them to give me a private tour over my Christmas holidays. While other people were sipping mulled wine and watching Love Actually, I was pacing through a 19th-century crime scene, taking photos the rooms where Andrew and Abby were actually murdered.

Why the Edinburgh Fringe?

Because there’s no other place on earth where chaos, brilliance, heartbreak, and art collide quite so spectacularly. The Fringe is a pressure cooker for creativity — it forces you to be brave, bold, and resourceful, often all before breakfast.

It’s also the ultimate test audience: you’ve got five seconds on the Royal Mile to convince a stranger to see your show over 3,000 others. It sharpens your instincts, your pitch, and your purpose.

For me, the Fringe isn’t just a place to show work — it’s where I go to become a better artist. The communal energy, the camaraderie, the sheer volume of stories being told from every corner of the globe — it’s completely intoxicating. It asks a lot of you. But if you let it, it will give you everything back tenfold.

How similar is this to other projects you’ve worked on?

This show is the blueprint. Bury The Hatchet is the production that helped form the very DNA of Out Of The Forest Theatre. It set the tone for everything we’ve done since: historical stories reframed through a contemporary lens, scored with foot-stomping folk and shot through with gallows humour. We realised, in making this show, that we weren’t just telling old stories — we were interrogating the way they’ve been told. That ethos — playful, political, musical, and a little bit unhinged — has been with us ever since. So while every show is its own beast, Bury The Hatchet is the original recipe. The OG. The start of the whole delicious mess.

What is your favourite moment in the show?
If, like me, you like your crime dramas hardboiled with a side of Victorian Grand Guignol, the interrogation scenes are to die for. Lizzie gets grilled in true noir fashion — clipped dialogue, raised eyebrows and just enough inconsistent detail to make you squirm. We’ve also drawn on the actual inquest transcript, so much of what you’ll hear is really what was said!

Where else can we see you?
Well, apart from at 3:50 every day except August 12th on The Queen Dome stage, you’ll likely see me chopsticks in hand guzzling down spicy garlic beef soup at Noodles and Dumplings!

What’s next?
I’ll be trading bloodstains for baubles as I direct The Nutcracker — a new adaptation I’ve written for Taunton Brewhouse’s Christmas show.

Monsters or Mazes?
Monsters – because I already have no idea where I’m going 99% of the time. Vampires or Werewolves?

Vampires – because I love antiques and come on, the fits are to die for.

Truth or Beauty?
Truth – because things that are true have a strange, stubborn beauty of their own. Even the ugly bits.

Bury The Hatchet runs from 30th July to August 25th (except the 12th) at the Pleasance Dome, Edinburgh. You can book via this link.

Check out our features on 2025’s Top Returning shows, and our keenly anticipated picks of new shows.

Scout Durwood is an American comedian, actress, singer, writer, and director, who’s work includes Take One Thing Off,  Bat-Canned and Youtopia.  We caught up with them to learn more about their show, APOCALYPSE CABARET: SONGS FOR THE END OF THE WORLD, coming the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

How would you pitch Apocalypse Cabaret to fans of the Fallout franchise?

First of all, it has apocalypse in the title. Asked and answered. This is a show about what happens to the idea of an audience gaze post-audience. It has music ranging from heartfelt to pop-sicle. The plot is literally life and death, and also there is a puppet.  At the risk of repeating myself: puppet.

And how would you pitch it to someone who is into Disney movies?
For the Disney kids, I’m going to start with emphasizing the existence of a puppet, a lovable inanimate object, much like one might see in a Pixar (Disney subsidiary) film. It has themes of young love and loss of innocence–what it is to both believe and un-believe in fairy tales. The show captures the youthful nostalgia my fellow millennials are known for, and if you squint your eyes, I am fairly indistinguishable from Belle and also the show recounts the story of a love affair I had with a stuffed animal aka “Beast.” I’m honestly pretty shocked Disney hasn’t optioned the story from me already.

Why a cabaret? Why Karaoke?
Cabaret is where I come from. My favorite thing about it is the lack of a fourth wall. We can’t afford it, it’s just one, two, three, and a show! Cabaret is an honest recognition of the circumstances of live performance. I am singing songs, and you are listening to me sing. If someone in the audience sneezes, I will pause to acknowledge, but the show is scripted with a narrative arc that encompasses the emotional extremes of our shared human experience. Boom, cabaret. Karaoke because it’s one of the only artforms that is random as it is poetic. Smashmouth goes up against Leonard Cohen. Karaoke is a communal coming together that is the perfect amount of deliberate and erratic.

Will this feature songs from Take One Thing Off?
It surely will! There are two songs from that album in the show, as well as a bunch of new covers and silly surprises. Not silly… cleverly curated to cultivate a spirit of levity and surprise. That’s it.

What’s the most demanding part of the show?
Vocally, it’s a real belter of a show. Twenty-eight days in a row requires a level physical discipline I’m not used to, but I’m working on it. Titrating the correct amount of “going all out” and “living to tell the tale” is the most physically demanding part of the show. In terms of heart and soul, this show has genuine emotional depth, up to and including parts that are intentionally not funny. Being small onstage is more uncomfortable for me than being over the top. Hopefully this show is a chance for both audience and performer to grow.

What’s the zaniest thing you’ve done to get this show made?
The original version of the show was written, rehearsed, and performed in less than a week. I was on a long term contract with Spiegelworld, but had a date booked at a theater on the west coast to premier new work. Long story short, it took longer than intended to exit that show, then my van broke down with all of my worldly possessions when I was on my way to a cabin in the woods to write and rehearse the show with my director, Ellie Heyman. The van still isn’t fixed (mechanic’s fault, not mine. Don’t worry, I will be leaving a luke-warm google review) so I don’t really have access to most of what I own. The first version of this show was a wild swing. I’m so proud I pulled it off and hope I never have to do something like that ever again.

Why the Edinburgh Fringe?
If I am being totally honest, I’m going to the fringe because my co-host on the Spiegelworld contract was Phil Nichol, who is a legend at the Fringe. He connected me with his people, and before I knew it, my cabaret show was booked and blessed. I’ve since compared it to the closest I’ve come to an unplanned pregnancy as a lesbian. I honestly don’t know if it was intentional or not, but I’m so freaking happy it happened. This show is my miracle baby.

How similar is this to other projects you’ve worked on?
I have the blessing/curse of having gotten to do a lot of different things in my career. Ellie (Heyman, my director… see above) really pushed me to try and get as many of my different skill sets in the same room, so this show is something of a Scout Durwood pu pu platter. The music in it is really, really good. The writing is narrative (I write for TV when they let me), and I get to play around in the audience which is how I started as a performer.

What is your favourite moment in the show?
Hyperballad. It’s the only part of the show where I stand still and sing. I love it. I’m glad the show earns it.

Where else can we see you?
You can take me out for drinks anytime. Otherwise, I have my digital series on the internet, TAKE ONE THING OFF, and a feature-length narrative visual album available wherever movies are sold or streamed. YOUTOPIA is the name of that one. I have a cover album coming out in the fall with Blue Èlan Records, US show dates coming soon, and all of this is available on my website, www.scoutdurwood.com or @scoutdurwood across all social media platforms.

Apocalypse Cabaret: Songs From The End Of The World will be at the Underbelly Bristo Square Dairy Room at 9.20pm for the entire fringe for tickets go to www.edfringe.com 

Check out our features on 2025’s Top Returning shows, and our keenly anticipated picks of new shows.

 

David Epley aka Doktor Kaboom is an actor, comedian and scientist who entertains family audiences through top-notch live comedy, with a science twist. We caught up with him to find out more about his forthcoming show, Under Pressure, coming to this year’s Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

How would you pitch Doktor Kaboom for fans of science and science fiction?

Fans of science love the fact that I know what I’m talking about and am able to present it with intelligent comedy in ways audiences can understand. No “magic”, no condescension, there are even easter egg jokes that science nerds will love but others might not even know are there! They also get to see friends and family members who think they don’t like science become fellow fans. Sci-fi fans will love the characterization of Doktor Kaboom and the comic allusions to our favourite shows and books that might pop up unexpectedly.

And how would you pitch it to someone who doesn’t really like practical demonstrations?
I don’t do practical demonstrations as most people think of them. I’m performing comedy routines. If anything my practical demos may be better described as impractical! I mean, how practical is shooting a ping pong ball into a gong at 300 mph?

How is Under Pressure different from previous shows?

I’ve always included moments of empowerment for my audiences, especially the volunteers. This show is the first time I’ve focused on a particular subject, something I have seen a strong need for. I’m using the physics of pressure as metaphor for the stresses and anxieties of life. I’m hoping to open up conversations within families and give them a shared vocabulary to use.

What’s your most incredible science fact?

My favourite right now is that we have the most taste buds we’ll ever have when we are born, and we lose them throughout our lives. This is because most plants that are toxic to us are fairly bitter, and as babies and toddlers we put everything into our mouths. With all of those taste buds, the bitter stands out strongly and we spit out what’s toxic. It also affects how everything tastes and why taste changes over our lifetimes. This means that when a child tells you broccoli tastes bad, they’re right! Because it absolutely does. To them.

How does science fiction help improve the world?

Sci Fi is the imaginative process of what can be, based on scientific discoveries. Almost everything we take for granted in terms of our daily technology was first conceptualised in science fiction. The internet, the cell phone, tablets, airplanes, etc. etc. etc. – all were creations of artistic fantasy long before they were possibilities, much less reality.

What key idea or message helped you develop this show?

I noticed after the pandemic that the children of the world had been psychologically traumatised by the shutdowns, and that no one was talking about it. Self harm is on the rise among young people, as is anxiety, depression, and just about every other mental health issue, and there is no awareness or leadership at a national level anywhere! Families and teachers are left on their own and no one is giving them tools. So I am.

Why the Edinburgh Fringe, again and again?

I am addicted. It is the hardest month of my year, but also the most glorious. The audiences are brilliant and supportive, my venue The Pleasance exceptional in their support, and I get the thrill of meeting, seeing, and befriending amazing performers from all over the world!

What is your favourite moment in the show?

Anytime my volunteer takes over the focus and I get to step back and watch them shine! As far as specific moments, well, I love making it snow on stage.

What’s next?

I filmed the show recently to pitch to streaming networks, like Netflix, as a comedy special for the whole family. Once the editing is done, then I’ll be trying to figure out how to make that happen.

Doctor Who or Doctor No?

WHO! TARDIS and a sonic screwdriver FTW! And psychic paper! Pure genius.

Rick or Morty?
LOL Rick. I love pickles.

Truth or Beauty?

Is it too hacky to say that truth is beauty? Yes, yes it is. So, I’ll say Truth, hands down.

Doktor Kaboom!’s new show ‘Under Pressure’ will be at the Pleasance Courtyard Beyond at 1.40pm for the entire fringe; for tickets go to www.edfringe.com

Check out our features on 2025’s Top Returning shows, and our keenly anticipated picks of new shows.

Dylan Adler is a Los Angeles based comedian, actor, writer, and musician, who’s credits include The Late Late Show with James Corden, After Midnight and Comedy Central. His new show, coming to 2025’s Edinburgh Festival Fringe is called Haus of Dylan. It is about growing up, getting bullied and screaming at your therapist, all to some jaunty musical themes. We caught up with to find out more.

Introduce yourself please.
I am a mentally ill gay Asian musical comedian ready to sing for you! I was a former classical musician and composer but then fell in love with comedy and world has never recovered.

How would you pitch Haus of Dy-lan to a fan of slapstick comedy?
Come see a Gay Asian bitch throw himself around the stage for an hour! He will move around so much that by the end of the show he will be drenched in sweat. At some points he will contort his face to make himself look like the devil. He will also do a backflip and if you’re lucky he will fall on his ass. Pleasance Beside at 19:30!

And how would you pitch it to someone who is into Star Trek?
Come see George Takei’s Grandson perform his gay comedy show at Pleasance Beside at 19:30!

How personal do you get with this show?
The show gets uncomfortably personal. I talk about being a bedwetter until age seventeen, my Japanese grandpa signing up to be a Kamikaze pilot, and wanting to get peed on. Sorry mom.

Where do you get your sense of humour from?
I get my sense of humor from my mom. The Japanese side of my family is very funny and loud. My mom is very loud and the majority of her jokes are delivered through a scream which is something I have inherited. Pretty much every one of my moms friends have told me that she should’ve gone into comedy but my mom says “At office I’m always cracking jokes so I basically do comedy and get paid”. My mom is also a fag hag and she introduced me and my gay twin brother to “Project Runway” and drove us two hours to get our book signed by Tim Gunn. Her humor is very gay and so am I!

Is everything better when it’s set to music?
Not always! As a musical theatre bitch I’m always tempted to add music to a comedic premise or underscore a joke to music. There are cases where a joke is comedically enhanced by music. Music can inject energy into a joke, add comedic tension, and help move a story along. But oftentimes music can actually undercut the punchline of a joke or distract from the comedy of a story. I personally don’t think music should be added to a comedic premise for the music’s sake. The music should always be serving the comedic premise in some way. The only thing that’s always better set to music is anal.

What does your twin think about all this?
My twin brother is actually starting stand up comedy which I feel very mixed about. Comedy was “MY THING” and he just has to swoop in and take it!! I will uplift queer Asian voices but not his voice! But, honestly a part of me is happy he’s doing comedy so now we can talk about comedy together. Whenever I tell a joke about my brother I run it by him beforehand. Most of the time he approves but there have been times he has made me make adjustments.

What do you think “a ‘theatre kid who escaped Alcatraz’” means?
A mean teenager on Tik Tok commented on one of my videos that my energy is “theatre kid who escaped Alcatraz” and unfortunately I think he’s correct. My energy onstage does give “Theatre kid, but something is off”. My onstage persona is very flamboyant and theatrical but also a little demonic and twisted. I think Jacob2749 honestly hit it right on the money. 

Why the Edinburgh Fringe?
It’s been a dream of mine to bring my solo show but I’ve never been able to afford it until recently! Edinburgh is all end be all of comedy festivals and I want the experience of performing my show consecutively for a month. I want to be able to sell my show as a special and tour it around the U.K. and the U.S. I’m ready to experience a mental breakdown at the festival but then come out it stronger, wiser, and even gayer.  

What is your favourite moment in the show?
My favorite moment in the show is near the end when I sing a song about my experience touring the American South for the first time called “In the Heartland”. It’s a newer song and it’s always exciting to perform something that feels fresh. In the song I try to emulate the storytelling elements of my favorite country songs and I feel like the audience goes on a satisfying journey. I based the song’s melody off of my favorite “Chicks” song “Wide Open Spaces”. And I’ll admit I love doing a country accent. 

Where else can we see you?
I’m planning to tour the U.S. and U.K. after Edinburgh Fringe and eventually tape my show as a special. My Late Night set on James Corden is on YouTube! You can also listen to me and my friend Kelly Bachman’s comedy album “R*pe Victims are Horny Too” on Spotify and Apple Music. We wrote a musical comedy hour about our experiences healing from rape trauma and we’re very proud of it. 

What’s next?
Filler and Botox! Just kidding. I definitely would love to have a comedy special and sell my TV Show and Feature. I also want to continue touring around the U.S. and U.K. 

Sondheim or Webber?
Don’t make a theatre f*ggot choose! I love them both. When it comes to music I can play that my whole family can sing along to I go with Andrew Lloyd Webber. I love me some Phantom of the Opera even though the movie permanently traumatized me as an eight year old. I pick Sondheim when it comes to music and lyrics that continues to captivate and surprise me even after playing it for years. Sondheim songs are very intricate and complex which can make them difficult to learn, but I enjoy the challenge. My favorite Sondheim song is “Send in the Clowns”. The best performance of it in my opinion is from Dame Judi Dench. 

Pirates or Ninjas?
I’ve been called a “Butt Pirate” before but that’s neither here nor there. I am embracing my Japanese heritage and choosing Ninjas! I could never have been ninja because I’m too loud and have IBS but I respect their hustle! 

Truth or Beauty?
BEAUTY PLEASE! The truth is hard and scary and I will gladly take beauty over truth. Take me to Disneyland and let me dissociate while eating a Mickey Mouse creamsicle. Thank you. 

Dylan Adler’s debut comedy show ‘Haus Of Dylan’ will be at the Pleasance Courtyard Beside for the entire fringe for tickets go to www.edfringe.com

Check out our features on 2025’s Top Returning shows, and our keenly anticipated picks of new shows.

We caught up with Maxwell the Bubbleologist, who has been pushing the boundaries of what’s possible with soap, breath, and imagination for the last decade. His new show, The Flying Bubble Show, combines entertainment, education, and sensory arts. It’s also the world’s first fusion of aerial performance and bubble artistry. We caught up with Maxwell to find out more about the The Flying Bubble Show, coming to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe this August.

How would you pitch your show to someone unfamiliar with circus?
“Well, I fly through the air and blow bubbles.” That line alone tends to scramble minds delightfully. The technical explanation? I’m strapped into a custom rig operated by a very strong 20-year-old on a ladder—when he descends, I ascend. As I float overhead, bubbles pour down over the audience in waves of wonder. It’s part circus, part performance art, and entirely unique.

Are you the world’s only bubbleologist?
Absolutely not—and that’s a beautiful thing. There’s an incredible global community of bubble masters. Pioneers like Tom Noddy, Eiffel Plasterer, Sterling Johnson, and Louis Pearl paved the way, and bubble play goes all the way back to the 1800s. But I am the world’s only flying bubbleologist.

How did you build the mythology of your show?
The show is built on the hero’s journey—the quest for mastery. It’s about following a spark of curiosity and seeing where it leads. That mirrors my own story.

I always wanted to be a performer, ever since I was a child. But after moving to a new country, I didn’t know how to make it happen. I was working odd jobs, searching for a way in. Then one day, I started blowing bubbles—not with any career plan, just because it fascinated me. It felt good. It lit up my mind. So I kept doing it.
One thing led to another. Bubbles became a passion, then a practice, then a profession. And over time, I built a whole world around them. THE FLYING BUBBLE SHOW is the story of that journey—of following instinct, taking risks, and trusting that curiosity and creativity can take you somewhere extraordinary. Because they can.

Where is the most interesting place you’ve performed this show?
THE FLYING BUBBLE SHOW may only be a year old, but it’s already gone full globetrotter. We’ve performed in the UK, Italy, Portugal, India, Australia, and the Maldives. Each show has had its own kind of magic, but Adelaide Fringe stands out. The crowds were electric, and the show evolved night by night—it became more than just a performance; it was a living, breathing thing.

That said, performing in the Maldives, floating under coconut trees and landing softly in the sand? Also not terrible.

What’s the zaniest thing you’ve done to get this show made?
Oh, where do I start? I wasn’t an aerialist when I had the idea. I lived in London, where aerial space is rare, expensive, and—understandably—not keen on being doused in soap. So I turned to India, where I’d toured before, and found a home at Bliss Circus in South Goa. I flew out, with no show yet, just the spark of an idea: I want to fly and blow bubbles.

That’s where I met Rufus Corvino, a British-born rigging wizard raised between Portugal and India. We tinkered, tested, and schemed over a few short weeks. By March, Brighton Fringe offered me a slot . The show was still a concept. We had no promo material I said yes, booked a photographer the next day, Thomas from Head First AAcrobatssaid the show looks a bit too new for the stage, but gave me the option. This was a crucial moment. We got the green light, and in May we debuted. We sold out 96% of our run and the whole thing just took off. TV spots. Australia. A dream lurching into reality. It’s all been gloriously zany.

Why bubbles?
It might seem random — a career in bubbles. But anyone who’s blown bubbles for a living knows: everybody loves them. That sounds quaint, even obvious, until you realize how rare that is. There’s no divide. Bubbles are a universal yes. Across age, culture, language, background — no barriers. I’ve performed in places where I didn’t speak a word of the local language, but I didn’t need to. I have a visual vocabulary with bubbles. I can communicate through awe.

Bubbles allow me to reach anyone — children, adults, elders, neurodiverse minds—and offer a shared moment of wonder. They go deep: into sensory therapy, into education, into science and breathwork. And because expectations are so low (you blow them, they pop), the room I have to exceed those expectations is enormous. I’ve spent ten years exploring what more they can do—and I’m still only scratching the surface.

How similar is this to other projects you’ve worked on?
It’s unlike anything else. The fusion of aerial and bubble artistry cracks open a whole new realm of physical storytelling. I’ve worked on dozens of bubble shows and immersive projects, but nothing compares to soaring over a crowd while a cloud of bubbles trails behind. The artist flies, the bubbles fly—it’s a duet of levity. A marriage of elements. They belong together in a way I didn’t fully understand until I did it.

What is your favourite moment in the show?
There’s a moment before it begins—when I’m backstage, watching the audience fill in. Hearing the excited chatter followed by The excited silence when the lights dim down for the intro. I feel the weight of the journey that brought me here: an idea born in a dream, now materialized into a full theatre brimming with people who’ve chosen to share this experience. Then: the launch. I fly in at full speed. It’s thrilling, sometimes scary, but the roar of the crowd as the show begins never fails to hit me right in the chest.

There are many favourite moments—the big wow beats, the quiet lyrical ones, the collective gasp. But maybe my favourite of all is just the feeling that, for a brief time, a whole theatre of people are fully present, eyes lifted, united in a moment of magic.

Where else can we see you?
After Edinburgh, I’m heading to Sydney, Adelaide, India, the Maldives, and Brighton—with a few more surprises likely popping up as the months unfold.

What’s next?
As soon as THE FLYING BUBBLE SHOW wraps in Edinburgh, I head straight to Sydney for another 22-show run. More countries, more bubbles, more flights—both literal and poetic.

Gum or chocolate?
Chocolate. I don’t like gum. Bubbles should be in the air, not in your mouth.

Doctor Who or Doctor Frankenstein?
Neither. Doctor Bubble, obviously.

Truth or Beauty?
Truth. Always truth. And when it’s wrapped in beauty? That’s the sweet spot.

The Flying Bubble show will be at the Underbelly Circus Hub The Beauty at 3.10pm for the entire fringe for tickets go to www.edfringe.com

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