Australian comedian Danielle Walker is heading to Edinburgh Festival Fringe for the first time in August. She tells us about her show, the absurdity of her family, and how Covid changed her style of work. 

It’s kind of a rite of passage. It’s also an incredible opportunity to be seen by an international crowd. It’s like a comedy tradeshow, I guess. Which makes it sound corporate? But I guess it is. If you do a good show up there…it can change your life!"

"The shutdowns were very difficult for me. I tried to make online performance work, but I just couldn’t get my heart in it. I was able to do some streaming events, and I created online content for schools, but for a lot of it, I have to admit I shut down a bit, myself"

Actor Greg Esplin talks about his experiences at Edinburgh Festival Fringe, the challenges new performers might face, and his motivations for entering the industry. 

New Zealand comedian Nic Sampson is heading up to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe for the first time this August. We talk about his expectations, his show, and why he wanted to get into comedy. 

"I think we are in a paradigm shift at the moment where we are able to hold those in power accountable for problematic views and actions and I don’t think artists should be exempt from that."

"I painstakingly applied lipstick to the entirety of my face when I was 1. I vividly remember doing that at that age, and also putting an entire bag of polyfiller down the toilet."

"It’s quite a unique experience to be able to develop the show day-to-day, really hone it and to fall in and out of love with it. Also, you know, it’s the biggest arts festival in the world and so the scale and the number of shows and everything being in one place is wild."

"I think it was out of spite? An ex-boyfriend thought he was funnier than me so I spent the last 7 years proving him wrong. And if that's the kind of effort I put into one-upping someone, imagine how much effort has gone into my show!"

"I’ve always been someone who remembers that I’m lucky I get to do this, and now that feeling of being grateful is even more pronounced."

"Tried it once, it went well….and 10 years later it is a hobby that has got drastically out of hand!"

Christopher talks to us about Edinburgh Fringe, his early inspirations, and offers some advice to those of you who might want to take a show to the largest arts festival in the world.