What the Fringe?!

It’s our last episode for 2026- that means AWARDS and a special guest, Darren Lee Cole, Producing Artistic Director of SoHo Playhouse NYC! Darren’s theatre life began with a kidnapping, sort of, when his eighth-grade English teacher marched onto football practice with a clipboard and drafted a group of boys into the school play, and fringe has followed him ever since. Today, SoHo’s International F...

Local fringe festivals are one of the best ways to provide a platform for artists. This week we visit with Brenda Fashugba, co-founder of Lagos Fringe in Nigeria. Since its inception, the festival has been supporting the work of local artists, from helping fund their fringe expenses to providing show development advice to artists. And also hear about how a toilet epiphany turned into a chance of a...

Improv! Music! And Posters! Oh My!! This week Lauren visits with fringe friend Kat Kuo. Kat lives in Rochester, NY, where she began a musical improv troupe, and is a big supporter of her local Rochester Fringe. Not only is Kat a hilarious improviser, by day she is a graphic designer and photographer, and gives some insight into why these elements are vital to promoting your fringe show. And, WTF k...

From fringe performer to fringe founder. This week we sit downwith Erica Fee, the founder and CEO of ESL Rochester Fringe. We talk about Erica’s Edinburgh Fringe debut success to building a world-class fringe festival in her hometown. We chat about why fringe is here to stay and learn WTF is the grossest thing Erica is willing to do for the festival she loves so much.   Find out more about Rochest...

Show Description : If you haven’t had enough of Edinburgh Festival Fringe, here’s your one last chance to take it all in. What the Fringe?! is thrilled to be recording live at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe this year. This episode was semi-curated by What the Fringe?! We received over 500 pitches this year. We narrowed it down to our top 125 shows, then invited every artist who pitched their show t...

Can a short conversation at the fringe turn into a podcast, friendship, and super fan? Yes! Last year at the Edinburgh Fringe, Lubna Kerr sat down with me in the Pleasance courtyard and chatted me up, even though I told her I didn’t have room in my schedule to see her show. Now she is here on the podcast with her son Ihsan Kerr, sharing all about their upcoming collaboration. (I’m a big fan!) And...

Hometown advantage in fringe is real. But have you ever thought about making Edinburgh your hometown, just so you can do fringe?!  This week we are joined by Courtney Bassett, a Kiwi based in Edinburgh, whose theatre company, Half Trick Theatre, moved there to make great art. We also dive into their zany shows and just a few of Courtney’s obsessions. And Lauren learns WTF is the proper way to pron...

Are you one of those movie lovers who can quote films line for line? This one is for you! Kristin McCarthy Parker of the New York-based theatre company Recent Cutbacks spills the tea on how they take a small cast of actors and a live Foley artist to create shot-by-shot parodies of your favorite films. Recent Cutbacks’ innovative signature style has garnered multiple sold-out runs at the Edinburgh...

HAPPY WORLD FRINGE DAY 2026! 32 fringe artists from around the world join us to celebrate the best community in theatre, each with a show to pitch and a story you won't forget. Saturday, July 11 is officially World Fringe Day, our annualcelebration of everything that makes fringe theatre extraordinary: creativity, accessibility, and a genuine love for live performance. Every year we open submi...

Can love overcome shame? Our guest this week is Canadian Fringe artist and storyteller Kristi Boulton, who has made it her signature creative expression to share some of her most shame-inducing stories and use love and forgiveness as catalysts for healing and humor. We also talk about WFT is so amazing about improv and Canadian Fringe.     Find Kristi Boulton online at: www.kristiboulton.com Keep...

How long does it take to build a world-class arts program? House of Oz has been championing and supporting Australian artists for the past five years, and has become one of the standout producers at the Edinburgh Fringe. This week, we sit down with Georgie Black, founding patron and creative director, to discuss how she built House of Oz and her passion for ensuring artists receive the support the...

“Nun? Slut? It’s a spectrum. We’re all on it.” This showdescription is what hooked me into seeing Claire Robin’s “Nun Slut.” And after seeing it, I am a true fan. Claire shares how her spirituality and faith in God led her to create this holy yet controversial piece. And we talk about WTF she did to become a fringe sensation with her debut solo show.   Keep up with Claire on IG @clairerobin.nunslu...

Creating a career in fringe is doable; it often just takes time. Multi-award-winning fringe artist Jimmy Hogg has spent the past 20 years touring the Canadian fringe circuit building a name and career out of telling stories. Jimmy and Lauren chat about creating art you love, and WTF is the best reason to hang out in a pub.   Keep up with Jimmy IG: @jimmyhoggthepotatoking FB: @MrJimmyHogg   Find Wh...

Can you use fringe to build a body of work? This week, we visit with Marcel Cole, who has embraced this model to help him build his own “Marcel Cole Catalog of Plays.” Marcel is the creator of the multi-award-winning show “SMILE: The Story of Charlie Chaplin,” amongst others. We chat about his background, current work, and WTF is so great about bad work.  Keep up with Marcel IG: @theatremarcel and...

What do WWII and Vampira have in common? This week's guest, Ingrid Garner. Ingrid spent twelve years touring Eleanor's Story, based on the real life experiences of her grandmother during WWII. This year she is bringing something new with A Hollywood Horror Story, inspired by 1950s icon Vampira. It feels like a 180, but you might be surprised. Ingrid and Lauren talk about the longevity of a...

Do you really need a PR Agent for Fringe? Well, it all depends on your goals and the festival. This week, we chat with Annabelle Mastin-Lee, a PR Client Manager at Mobius Industries, a PR and marketing agency based in London specializing in theatre, dance, circus, and FRINGE! Annabelle will demystify all your PR misconceptions while she and Lauren figure out WTF to do when Phoebe Waller-Bridge int...

OK, hear me out…. a musical about the Holocaust, but gay. While this may sound like a pitch from The Producers, our guest this week, Michael Trauffer, has crafted a stunning and beautiful solo musical that explores the oppression of gay men in post-World War II Germany. Michael and Lauren talk about creating historical fiction, making work that is uniquely you, and WTF you should do when someone f...

At the ripe age of 7, Tyler West found his calling: to be a clown. While other clowns have a mask they can take off, Tyler’s dwarfism does not allow this. The beauty of fringe is that the artist gets to define who they are, and in Tyler’s newest show, Small Minded, he delves into all things clown, and gives us a peek into his life as a person with achondroplasia, a form of dwarfism. Tyler and Laur...

This week, we enter the afterbirth! No, we haven’t changed to a medical podcast, but we get into all the messy and beautiful details of Anne Zander’s clown show, “Mother: A Postpartum Comedy.” Lauren and Anne talk all things clown, devising, and motherhood as a fringe artist. And these fringe besties take a deep dive into WTF is so fun about playing in your room by yourself as a grown a** woman.  ...

Fringe is all about making a big impact with limited resources. Chris Sainton-Clark specializes in the thriller/mystery genre and is able to create that cinematic feel of the genre with limited technical resources. Chris and Lauren also talk about WTF is so appealing about a collaborator who is brutally honest.     Find Chris online at: www.christophersaintonclark.com   Keep up with Chris: IG: @ch...

What happens when a language barrier becomes one of your greatest strengths? Andrea Barello was born and raised in Italy, but now calls Los Angeles his home when he is not traveling the world clowning around. Andrea and Lauren talk about authenticity, the healing power of art, and WTF happened when vulnerability led to the most beautiful audience interaction.   Keep up with Andrea on IG: @algobaru...

This week we hang out with Levani, a fearless multidisciplinary artist from San Diego, whose theatre blends satire, spectacle, and social critique. From interactive shows about grief and corporate greed to sharp spoofs on online masculinity, Levani’s work shows how fringe artists are driving some of the most urgent conversations in performance today. And we uncover WTF is so special about that Nik...

Remember when you used to play with dolls or soldiers, because play was something that helped you learn about the world you lived in? Why do we lose that skill as adults? Maybe we just need someone to tell us it’s OK. This week’s guest, Soleil Kohl, is a Denver based clown who has a background in early childhood education. She shares about her solo shows, and WTF it is so important to reclaim our...

Mark Vigeant is a multi-disciplinary, award-winning comedian whose most recent solo play, The Best Man Show, was one of the best-reviewed shows at Edinburgh Fringe 2025. Mark and Lauren talk shop about creating solo shows with audience participation, the beauty of male vulnerability, his new show Out There, and WTF he didn’t do to get a special on Dropout TV.   Find Mark at: https://markvigeantcom...

While fringe may give off vibes that it’s anything but mainstream, there is an entire network of people helping fringe festivals become the best they can be. Holly Payton-Lombardo, Managing Director of World Fringe, gives us a peek behind the curtain of those working to make festivals great. She knows all the people, connects all the people, and absolutely loves artist people! If you don’t know Ho...