Persistent and Nasty

It's the Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2026 series Elaine chats with performer Hannah Docherty and producer Aila Swann about Matchstick Production's new musical Perfect Match. This was on at the space on the mile from 18th-22nd August. Huge apologies to the Matchstick team that due to Elaine being ill the day after recording this episode we were not able to get this episode out before their run ended. This is an important conversation around new musicals in Scotland, A PERFECT MATCH A power cut. Darkness. Sparks fly. Rowan is a straight-laced musical theatre writer, struggling to find inspiration. Charlie is a hurricane of inspiration with no respect for the rules. When Rowan's flat is plunged into darkness, a knock on the door brings Charlie, searching for a match, into her life. This charming, intimate new musical asks whether love is truly blind, and if a connection formed in the dark can survive the light. The Perfect Match is the debut show from Matchstick Productions UK, founded by Scotland-based book writer Mairead Dunsmore and composer/lyricist Samuel Macdonald. Inspired by a real-life story, The Perfect Match offers a safe space in the dark for two characters who've been burned by love before the chance to explore each other... and maybe even get a little carried away. For anyone who's ever scrolled on a mind-numbing dating app or struggled to form a real connection in this world of overwhelming online stimuli, this show offers the perfect solace of human connection when everything else is stripped away. Instagram Matchstick Productions UK - https://www.instagram.com/matchstickproductionsuk/?hl=en OUR WEBSITE - www.persistentandnasty.co.uk HIPA GUIDES: HIPA GUIDES Equity Toolkit: Link Stellar Quines: Link Persistent Pal & Nasty Hero - Pals and Hero Membership Email – persistentandnasty@gmail.com Instagram - @persistentandnasty Twitter - @PersistentNasty Coffee Morning Eventbrite - Coffee Morning Tickets LINKTREE - LINKTR.EE Resources Samaritans - Rape Crisis Scotland - Rape Crisis UK ArtsMinds - BAPAM Freelancers Make Theatre Work Stonewall UK - Trevor Project - Mermaids UK Switchboard LGBT+ - GATE PLANNED PARENTHOOD DONATE - DONATE ABORTION SUPPORT NETWORK UK - ASN.COM- DONATE

It's the Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2025 series Elaine chats with writer and performer of Cvntclave Arden Fitzroy. CVNTCLAVE Greenside @ George Street (Lime Studio) Dates: 7-29 August (not 16, 23) Time: 20:45 (60 mins) “What's the one secret that would destroy you, if it got out?” CVNTCLAVE follows the confessions of Cardinal Cvntvs in the lead-up to a conclave electing a pope, as the previous one has just died - again. There's nothing straightforward, or straight of any kind, really, in the tangle of emotions, doubts and dalliances Cvntvs dredges up for you, dear College of Cardinals, for the very first time in his life. A rising star of UK theatre and the cardinalate, actor and writer Arden Fitzroy makes their Edinburgh Fringe debut with CVNTCLAVE, the high key drama-comedy-confessional the festival has been waiting for for years - except in this case it's the literal Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation. This brand new talent has been supported by Soho Theatre Edinburgh Fringe Lab, Soho Theatre Writers Lab and Theatre Deli Artist Residency. With the clarion call of the fandom surrounding 2024 Oscar-winning film Conclave ringing like the Campanone of St. Peter's Basilica, Arden realized the wealth of dramatic material hidden just behind the locked doors of real-world conclaves. Inspired by both the queer (sub)text of Conclave (2024) and Frédéric Martel's examination of queer subculture in the Catholic Church's highest echelons (In the Closet of the Vatican), CVNTCLAVE explores the tensions, confluences, rivalries and unlikely camaraderie that emerge from an environment simultaneously intensely queer and intensely Catholic. TICKET LINK - https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/cvntclave OUR WEBSITE - www.persistentandnasty.co.uk Persistent and Nasty join the CEC community to create a safe space & build a community for those who are marginalised in any way in the arts. Link for our Zoom meeting with Creative Entrepreneurs Club https://creativeentrepreneursclub.co.uk/ MAIL BAG – you can write and ask us industry related questions or general questions or maybe you have a hot take you want to chare, some tea you want to spill or a topic you want discussed on the podcast. To be included in the Mail Bag podcast email persistentandnansty@gmail.com with subject line MAIL BAG or slide into the DM's. IPA GUIDES: HIPA GUIDES Equity Toolkit: Link Stellar Quines: Link Persistent Pal & Nasty Hero - Pals and Hero Membership Email – persistentandnasty@gmail.com Instagram - @persistentandnasty Twitter - @PersistentNasty Coffee Morning Eventbrite - Coffee Morning Tickets LINKTREE - LINKTR.EE Resources Samaritans - Rape Crisis Scotland - Rape Crisis UK ArtsMinds - BAPAM Freelancers Make Theatre Work Stonewall UK - Trevor Project - Mermaids UK Switchboard LGBT+ - GATE PLANNED PARENTHOOD DONATE - DONATE ABORTION SUPPORT NETWORK UK - ASN.COM- DONATE

Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2026 series Elaine chats with writer Corinne Sailsbury and Director Jo Rush of Slayers about Corinne's new eclectic play Slayers. SLAYERS Assembly George Sq Studios - Studio 5 18-30August 12:15 “He takes hold of my wrist. His thumb is on the vein. His eyes into my eyes. I don't pull away. Then I do, I pull away.” Liane is a single mother, a survivor of abuse, now trying desperately to shield her ten-year-old daughter from the world's dangers. As her daughter suffers bullying, Liane has a real-world encounter with the Manosphere that stokes her rage. Mother and daughter take up boxing. They develop a taste for violence. They plot their revenge… SLAYERS is a tense contemporary drama that asks: How can we arm our daughters against the world? What happens when our anger makes us go too far? When does revenge stop feeling righteous – and how do we find a better way? TICKET LINK -https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/slayers-by-corinne-salisbury No Palantir in our NHS - https://www.amnesty.org.uk/issues/international-crisis/no-palantir-in-our-nhs/ SAVE THE CCA – https://saveourcca.com/ OUR WEBSITE - www.persistentandnasty.co.uk IPA GUIDES: HIPA GUIDES Equity Toolkit: Link Stellar Quines: Link Persistent Pal & Nasty Hero - Pals and Hero Membership Email – persistentandnasty@gmail.com Instagram - @persistentandnasty Twitter - @PersistentNasty Coffee Morning Eventbrite - Coffee Morning Tickets LINKTREE - LINKTR.EE Resources Samaritans - Rape Crisis Scotland - Rape Crisis UK ArtsMinds - BAPAM Freelancers Make Theatre Work Stonewall UK - Trevor Project - Mermaids UK Switchboard LGBT+ - GATE PLANNED PARENTHOOD DONATE - DONATE ABORTION SUPPORT NETWORK UK - ASN.COM- DONATE

Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2026 series Elaine chats with Edininburgh born working class queer writer Kari Hall about their new play hame.teeth.CLUB. hame.teeth.CLUB. Underbelly Cowgate 5 - 30 August 2026 17:10 “A dark-comedy about survivor-hood, female friendships, and working-class Scottish identity” Iona Bremner Productions and Sláinte! Theatre are delighted to present HAME. TEETH. CLUB., a brand new play from emerging Scottish writer Kari Hall, directed by Jessie Wren Jacobs. Developed from Sláinte! Theatre's scratch nights with support from Playwright Studio Scotland's Mentorship Scheme, this quick and visceral dark-comedy explores identity, growing-up, and plays with the cheeky and witty nature of Scottish humour. Fuelled by Dragon Soop and recklessness, Morgan is a hedonistic party girl who lives for her weekends at Dalkeith Miner's club. But after experiencing a sexual assault, she's forced to confront her lack of ambition; her personal chaos; and the emptiness that remains when you are believed, but no one stands by your side. HAME. TEETH. CLUB. tackles how communities talk about and treat survivors of assault, and just how much complicity plays a part in not supporting victims. This play explores the intricacies of female friendship as something that is sacred - but can be completely sidelined for male validation. At a time when conversations around consent, accountability and community responsibility remain central to public discourse, HAME. TEETH. CLUB. Asks difficult questions about what support truly looks like.Written in a blend of colloquial Scots and English language, HAME. TEETH. CLUB. celebrates contemporary Scottish language while bringing a distinctly working class voice tothe Edinburgh Festival Fringe.. Drawing on experiences of growing up in Midlothian in the 2010s, Hall's debut Fringe play explores a generation of young Scottish women navigating survivorhood, friendship, and contemporary Scottish identity. TICKET LINK - https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/hame-teeth-club No Palantir in our NHS - https://www.amnesty.org.uk/issues/international-crisis/no-palantir-in-our-nhs/ SAVE THE CCA – https://saveourcca.com/ OUR WEBSITE - www.persistentandnasty.co.uk IPA GUIDES: HIPA GUIDES Equity Toolkit: Link Stellar Quines: Link Persistent Pal & Nasty Hero - Pals and Hero Membership Email – persistentandnasty@gmail.com Instagram - @persistentandnasty Twitter - @PersistentNasty Coffee Morning Eventbrite - Coffee Morning Tickets LINKTREE - LINKTR.EE Resources Samaritans - Rape Crisis Scotland - Rape Crisis UK ArtsMinds - BAPAM Freelancers Make Theatre Work Stonewall UK - Trevor Project - Mermaids UK Switchboard LGBT+ - GATE PLANNED PARENTHOOD DONATE - DONATE ABORTION SUPPORT NETWORK UK - ASN.COM- DONATE

Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2026 series Elaine chats with Penny Chivas about her show Where we Choose to Stand which has finished it's official run at the festival but is part of the Fringe Fragments. Where we Choose To Stand @ Fringe Fragments Assembly Dance Base 24/25 August 13:15-14:15 & 17:30-18:30 both days Where We Choose to Stand is an ambitious dance-theatre work inspired by climate activism amid political upheaval. Embedded in Nicolette Macleod's evocative soundscape are first-hand accounts from people from across the UK who have been involved in direct action, amplifying the voices of those often silenced for their actions. Through audience interaction, the work challenges audiences to reflect on where they stand, asking how we position ourselves in moments of crisis. Fringe Fragments Dance Base Festival 2026 in partnership with Assembly Festival presents Fringe Fragments on 24 and 25 August 2026.Produced by Dance Base, Fringe Fragments is a pitching platform showcasing dance talent from around the world. Designed as a public event and industry showcase in one, audiences can see several excerpts from tour-ready performances by international and UK dance artists, each presented with a short artist talk and hosted by Artistic Director, Tony Mills. This year, Dance Base is collaborating with Nordberg Movement (Sweden) and Kultur | lx—arts council Luxembourg, to present artists inspired by activism, Hip Hop and Merce Cunningham. Artists include: Penny Chivas Where We Choose to Stand (Scotland). A dance-theatre show inspired by activism and political change, blending movement, music, real stories and moments of audience connection. Alicia Cano-Smit and Benoît Callens Echos Infinis (Luxembourg). Bound by a constant physical connection that shifts its point of contact, Benoît and Alicia move through cycles of conflict, support and loss of control to reveal the ways we become trapped, evolve and reconnect. Philip Berlin La Ronde (Sweden) Performed by Philip and Louise Dahl, La Ronde is explosive yet minimalist. An investigation into circular and rotating dance material, expect spherical leaps, sudden accelerations and a thrilling physical claiming of the entire space. TICKET LINK -https://assemblyfestival.com/whats-on/fringe-fragments No Palantir in our NHS - https://www.amnesty.org.uk/issues/international-crisis/no-palantir-in-our-nhs/ SAVE THE CCA – https://saveourcca.com/ OUR WEBSITE - www.persistentandnasty.co.uk IPA GUIDES: HIPA GUIDES Equity Toolkit: Link Stellar Quines: Link Persistent Pal & Nasty Hero - Pals and Hero Membership Email – persistentandnasty@gmail.com Instagram - @persistentandnasty Twitter - @PersistentNasty Coffee Morning Eventbrite - Coffee Morning Tickets LINKTREE - LINKTR.EE Resources Samaritans - Rape Crisis Scotland - Rape Crisis UK ArtsMinds - BAPAM Freelancers Make Theatre Work Stonewall UK - Trevor Project - Mermaids UK Switchboard LGBT+ - GATE PLANNED PARENTHOOD DONATE - DONATE ABORTION SUPPORT NETWORK UK - ASN.COM- DONATE

Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2026 series Elaine chats with the brilliant Tessa Parr about their show I am Johnny. I am Johnny Summerhall, Red Lecture Theatre Dates: 6 - 31 August (not 17, 24) Time: 18:15 (60 mins) “Boys, are you shirkin for a gherkin?” Tessa Parr is Johnny the Biblical Rapper. I AM JOHNNY sees the acclaimed actor and theatre-maker transform into a white male 30-something poet-manchild. Navigating the world from a place of vulnerability doesn't come easy to Johnny, but poetry speaks to the soul, so he's found the perfect medium. Johnny is fresh from the gym, found his spotlight and is willing to give it a go. After all - it's what the people want. Strikingly timely in light of the rapidly widening class divide and the evolving discourse around troubled masculinity, Parr presents a gripping and intimate exploration of masculinity, emotional exposure, and the quiet expectations that sit beneath honesty. TICKET LINK - https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/i-am-johnny No Palantir in our NHS - https://www.amnesty.org.uk/issues/international-crisis/no-palantir-in-our-nhs/ SAVE THE CCA – https://saveourcca.com/ OUR WEBSITE - www.persistentandnasty.co.uk IPA GUIDES: HIPA GUIDES Equity Toolkit: Link Stellar Quines: Link Persistent Pal & Nasty Hero - Pals and Hero Membership Email – persistentandnasty@gmail.com Instagram - @persistentandnasty Twitter - @PersistentNasty Coffee Morning Eventbrite - Coffee Morning Tickets LINKTREE - LINKTR.EE Resources Samaritans - Rape Crisis Scotland - Rape Crisis UK ArtsMinds - BAPAM Freelancers Make Theatre Work Stonewall UK - Trevor Project - Mermaids UK Switchboard LGBT+ - GATE PLANNED PARENTHOOD DONATE - DONATE ABORTION SUPPORT NETWORK UK - ASN.COM- DONATE

Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2026 series Elaine chats with co-founder of Cutty Sark Theatre and writer Eve Miller. They are joined by Molly Cavanagh who is sound designer and technician on Turn the Cloth Turn the Cloth Gilded Balloon Teviot, Turret 5-31 Aug (not 12, 26) 2:30pm (50 mins) “A queer Scottish folk horror about tradition, superstition, and Elvira” 1989. The first storm of winter hits a small Scottish town, bringing with it obligation, tradition, and a spirit hungry for a wife. Bonds are tested, secrets revealed, and the ghosts of the village's past invade the present. Darkly funny, unsettling, and atmospheric, the Charlie Hartill Shortlisted play Turn the Cloth dissects defiance, girlhood, and the rituals that shape us. For centuries, young women have gathered in the village hall during the first storm of winter to complete a tradition warding off a kelpie who seeks to abduct an eligible bride. But when one of the girls doesn't show up, the others fall to gossip, in-fighting, and debate over whether anyone could still believe in this fabled beast. Teenage heartbreak, eldritch horror, and Blockbuster video collide in this treacherous ritual that has the power to save or unmake four futures. TICKET LINK - https://tickets.gildedballoon.co.uk/event/14:6746/ STRUT SAFE – https://linktr.ee/strutsafe?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio&fbclid=PAcGRvZgJleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZA85MzY2MTk3NDMzOTI0NTkAAad29y9ugqwt1Yak5f3ChVWdyConD1_9OFYkccDGqzKEvfFcZN7ZUzdlVN8ELQ_aem_LgvJU0G-XGKR5kcB365GVQ SAVE THE CCA – https://saveourcca.com/ OUR WEBSITE - www.persistentandnasty.co.uk IPA GUIDES: HIPA GUIDES Equity Toolkit: Link Stellar Quines: Link Persistent Pal & Nasty Hero - Pals and Hero Membership Email – persistentandnasty@gmail.com Instagram - @persistentandnasty Twitter - @PersistentNasty Coffee Morning Eventbrite - Coffee Morning Tickets LINKTREE - LINKTR.EE Resources Samaritans - Rape Crisis Scotland - Rape Crisis UK ArtsMinds - BAPAM Freelancers Make Theatre Work Stonewall UK - Trevor Project - Mermaids UK Switchboard LGBT+ - GATE PLANNED PARENTHOOD DONATE - DONATE ABORTION SUPPORT NETWORK UK - ASN.COM- DONATE

Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2026 series Elaine chats comedian Han Whyte about their debut at the Edinburgh Fringe with their show Roger Prick: Sexopolis. Roger Prick: Sexopolis Underbelly Cowgate (Jelly Belly) Dates: 5-30 August (not 18) Time: 18:55 (60 mins) “How could I be sexist? I've got tons of girls in my books” Sexy, seedy Soho in the 70s. What a time to be alive. And what a time to be Roger Prick, the UK's number one pornographer, erotic novelist and dirty old creep. Because of woke, feminism, and the #MeToo movement, Fringe 2026 is the perfect time for Prick to relaunch his seminal work for a new generation. Influenced by the burgeoning alternative comedy scene in the 1980s which rose as Soho's reputation fell, Sexopolis is a deftly crafted, tightly written, laugh-out-loud ode to sticky floors and even stickier pages. An extravaganza of character, drag, time travel, cardboard and cartoons, Roger Prick puts the novel into novelist in his debut Edinburgh outing. Roger Prick is the creation of drag king, character comic, cartoonist and Leicester Square Theatre Sketch Off finalist Han Whyte who brings sleaze kicking and screaming back to the Edinburgh Fringe. She is also a Soho Comedy Plus Lab alumni and comedy history buff with particular interest in the UK's alternative comedy scene TICKET LINK -https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/roger-prick-sexopolis OUR WEBSITE - www.persistentandnasty.co.uk IPA GUIDES: HIPA GUIDES Equity Toolkit: Link Stellar Quines: Link Persistent Pal & Nasty Hero - Pals and Hero Membership Email – persistentandnasty@gmail.com Instagram - @persistentandnasty Twitter - @PersistentNasty Coffee Morning Eventbrite - Coffee Morning Tickets LINKTREE - LINKTR.EE Resources Samaritans - Rape Crisis Scotland - Rape Crisis UK ArtsMinds - BAPAM Freelancers Make Theatre Work Stonewall UK - Trevor Project - Mermaids UK Switchboard LGBT+ - GATE PLANNED PARENTHOOD DONATE - DONATE ABORTION SUPPORT NETWORK UK - ASN.COM- DONATE

Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2026 series Elaine chats with performer, writer and clown Bruna Longo about her show Whale Fall Or Song To Dance With My Death which is currently playing t the Edinburgh Festival 2026. WHALE FALL OR SONG TO DANCE WITH MY DEATH Part of São Paulo Showcase 2026 Lindisfarne Room at St Cuthbert's Church Dates: 10 - 27 August 2026 Time: MON-THRU 12:00, FRI-SUN 20:00 (80 mins) WHALE FALL OR SONG TO DANCE WITH MY DEATH “A woman dies and seeks to mourn her own passing in this deeply human meditation on mortality, weaving together anthropology, philosophy, and theatre” Part of the much-anticipated returning São Paulo Showcase, Whale Fall or Song To Dance With My Death is a performance about the taboo of death in everyday life, the process of eliminating funeral rites in Western capitalist societies, silence, and denial. Yet, above all it is a performance about life inspired by the death of actress Bruna Longo's father. Co-directed by Vitor Julian, the production has been acclaimed by audiences and critics in São Paulo, Brazil. Staged within the historic St Cuthbert's Church, filled with echoes of its centuries-old graveyard, Whale Fall is a contemplation of mortality; a ritual inspired by Longo's own experience of loss and grief. Faced with the inescapable, she imagines her own death and attempts to mourn herself - the one thing we, as humans, cannot do. Exploring the funeral rites from diverse cultures, and their philosophical and practical implications, Longo draws from her intimate experience to create a reflective surface: what might we see when we confront our fear of dying? For Western societies, death is perhaps the last insurmountable taboo - we don't talk about it, and we don't know how to deal with it. Death's mysterious and unknown character inspired the first human ceremonies, hieroglyphics, and campfire stories; it has given us philosophy, religion, art, and mourning, shaping how we live collectively and individually. Whale Fall reminds us that death is our only, and unavoidable, certainty. TICKET LINK -https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/whale-fall-or-song-to-dance-with-my-death OUR WEBSITE - www.persistentandnasty.co.uk IPA GUIDES: HIPA GUIDES Equity Toolkit: Link Stellar Quines: Link Persistent Pal & Nasty Hero - Pals and Hero Membership Email – persistentandnasty@gmail.com Instagram - @persistentandnasty Twitter - @PersistentNasty Coffee Morning Eventbrite - Coffee Morning Tickets LINKTREE - LINKTR.EE Resources Samaritans - Rape Crisis Scotland - Rape Crisis UK ArtsMinds - BAPAM Freelancers Make Theatre Work Stonewall UK - Trevor Project - Mermaids UK Switchboard LGBT+ - GATE PLANNED PARENTHOOD DONATE - DONATE ABORTION SUPPORT NETWORK UK - ASN.COM- DONATE

Elaine chats with writer and performer Sarah-Louise Young about her latest show The Bob Ross Effect which is curretnly at the Edinburgh Festival. THE BOB ROSS EFFECT Assembly Gardens, Piccolo Wednesday 5th - Monday 31st August 2026 (not 18th) 4:05pm (70 mins) “We don't make mistakes, we have happy accidents” Fringe favourite actor, writer, director and internationally renowned cabaret performer Sarah-Louise Young (An Evening Without Kate Bush, Cabaret Whore, The Silent Treatment, Julie Madly Deeply) makes a much-anticipated return to this year's Edinburgh Festival Fringe Festival with The Bob Ross Effect, a brand new show presented with Suzanna Rosenthal Productions. Artist, animal-lover and unlikely sex symbol Bob Ross brought art into the living rooms of millions with The Joy of Painting, one the most watched TV art shows in history and now an online phenomenon still getting millions of views decades later. With his instantly recognisable big perm and soft-spoken encouragement to paint "happy little trees", Bob Ross has taught generation after generation to embrace their creativity. Tickets - https://assemblyfestival.com/whats-on/1652-the-bob-ross-effect OUR WEBSITE - www.persistentandnasty.co.uk IPA GUIDES: HIPA GUIDES Equity Toolkit: Link Stellar Quines: Link Persistent Pal & Nasty Hero - Pals and Hero Membership Email – persistentandnasty@gmail.com Instagram - @persistentandnasty Twitter - @PersistentNasty Coffee Morning Eventbrite - Coffee Morning Tickets LINKTREE - LINKTR.EE Resources Samaritans - Rape Crisis Scotland - Rape Crisis UK ArtsMinds - BAPAM Freelancers Make Theatre Work Stonewall UK - Trevor Project - Mermaids UK Switchboard LGBT+ - GATE PLANNED PARENTHOOD DONATE - DONATE ABORTION SUPPORT NETWORK UK - ASN.COM- DONATE

It's the Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2026 series Elaine chats with writer and performer Farah Asraf about her show Pink Rabbit. PINK RABBIT Underbelly (Daisy) Dates: 5 - 30 August 2026 Time: 16:15 (60 mins) “Validation is addictive, what could go wrong?” At its heart, Pink Rabbit is a story about a mother and daughter who love each other deeply but cannot speak honestly about the things that matter most. A fierce, funny and emotionally devastating solo play by actor and writer Farah Ashraf, Pink Rabbit explores the complicated inheritance of shame, the search for female pleasure, and what happens when generations of silence collide. Directed and dramaturged by Soho Theatre Creative Associate Alessandro Babalola (Flesh and Bone, 2017 Fringe First winner), this bold coming-of-age story examines faith, sexuality and the intoxicating power of being seen. Eighteen-year-old British-Pakistani Amna has perfected the art of performance. At home she is the good Muslim daughter: polite, modest and obedient. Online, she becomes PersianBaby, cultivating intimacy and desire through an OnlyFans account her strict mother knows nothing about. As Amna moves between mosque and webcam, family expectations and digital validation, the gap between the person she performs and the person she longs to be becomes impossible to sustain. But beneath the secrets lies another story. Mother and daughter are connected by an unspoken experience that neither has the language to confront—a shared relationship to pain, shame and a body that has never felt entirely their own. As buried truths begin to surface, Pink Rabbit asks what is passed between generations when conversations about sex, pleasure and desire are replaced by silence, and whether breaking that silence might be the first act of liberation. Blending lyrical spoken word, sharp audience address, flashbacks and live interactions with PersianBaby's online clients, Farah Ashraf creates an intimate portrait of a young woman negotiating the impossible expectations placed upon her. The play explores the tension between faith and female autonomy, the pressure to embody the ideal of the "good Muslim girl", the seduction of online validation, and the emotional cost of living multiple lives. With wit, vulnerability and unflinching honesty, Pink Rabbit moves beyond familiar narratives of cultural conflict to explore how shame shapes women's relationships with their bodies across generations. It asks who gets to experience desire without guilt, who is allowed pleasure without punishment, and how inherited silence can fracture even the closest relationships. Tickets - https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/pink-rabbit OUR WEBSITE - www.persistentandnasty.co.uk IPA GUIDES: HIPA GUIDES Equity Toolkit: Link Stellar Quines: Link Persistent Pal & Nasty Hero - Pals and Hero Membership Email – persistentandnasty@gmail.com Instagram - @persistentandnasty Twitter - @PersistentNasty Coffee Morning Eventbrite - Coffee Morning Tickets LINKTREE - LINKTR.EE Resources Samaritans - Rape Crisis Scotland - Rape Crisis UK ArtsMinds - BAPAM Freelancers Make Theatre Work Stonewall UK - Trevor Project - Mermaids UK Switchboard LGBT+ - GATE PLANNED PARENTHOOD DONATE - DONATE ABORTION SUPPORT NETWORK UK - ASN.COM- DONATE

It's the Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2026 series Elaine chats with writer and performer Sophie Smyth about her show The Subplot: A Hyperfixation on the Titan Submersible which is a Best Theatre, Melbourne Fringe 225 nominee. The Subplot: A Hyperfixation on the Titan Submersible Summerhall - Former Women's Locker Room 6- 31st August (Not 12,17,24) 15:20 (60 minutes) “Get in, babes, we're going to the bottom of the North Atlantic Ocean” Multi award-winning neurodivergent singer, actor, writer and sub expert Sophie Smyth brings her new immersive, multi-media (literal) deep dive into the 2023 Titan Submersible implosion to Summerhall this Fringe. The Subplot: A Hyperfixation on the Titan Submersible is a deeply personal, dark comedy exploration about legacy, hyperfixation and human connection. Directed by Casey Gould (Little Squirt, Conk: Man Sings The Same Song Over And Over Again For An Hour). June 2023. Remember those five days the whole world waited when a manned submersible touring the Titanic wreckage went missing and imploded? Sophie hasn't. Armed with a laptop, Logitech F710 controller and autism, she's spent three years (and counting!) diving deeper and deeper, descending the depths of the internet and herself. Now Captain S. Smyth, resident Titan expert, shares her findings at this year's Edinburgh festival guiding you through what started as memes and morbid fascination towards monotropic interest that threatens to consume every part of her life. Looking at the moral and ethical questions the disaster raised to the world and to Sophie's spiral into obsession, The Subplot plumbs the depths of this stranger-than-fiction tragedy, while taking you on board that final fateful dive. Emotional and existential, The Subplot is a dark multi-media comedy about neurodivergence, mortality, and the risk/reward of going too far. Tickets - https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/the-subplot-a-hyperfixation-on-the-titan-submersible OUR WEBSITE - www.persistentandnasty.co.uk IPA GUIDES: HIPA GUIDES Equity Toolkit: Link Stellar Quines: Link Persistent Pal & Nasty Hero - Pals and Hero Membership Email – persistentandnasty@gmail.com Instagram - @persistentandnasty Twitter - @PersistentNasty Coffee Morning Eventbrite - Coffee Morning Tickets LINKTREE - LINKTR.EE Resources Samaritans - Rape Crisis Scotland - Rape Crisis UK ArtsMinds - BAPAM Freelancers Make Theatre Work Stonewall UK - Trevor Project - Mermaids UK Switchboard LGBT+ - GATE PLANNED PARENTHOOD DONATE - DONATE ABORTION SUPPORT NETWORK UK - ASN.COM- DONATE

It's the Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2026 series Elaine chats with writer and performer Michelle Renee Johnson about her new show Extra Dry. EXTRA DRY Willow Studio at Greenside Dates: 7-29 August 2026 Time: 15:05 (60 mins) “MJ dives headfirst into a chaotic and destructive romance with alcohol. As her nights spiral and the blackouts escalate, her stories become memorable to others - hazy or nonexistent to herself” Michelle Renee Johnson's new one-woman play Extra Dry is poetic, vulnerable and staggered with blackouts. Not just a theatre concept, these blackouts chart the moments lost during her chaotic obsession with drinking. Growing up quieter by nature, but noticing that those who have larger personalities are more memorable to others, the MJ we meet in Extra Dry is drinking to be remembered, to be the anecdote, to centre herself. In a poignant moment she asks her college friends: would we have anything to say if we weren't always drunk? Waking up in countless scenarios in which she has to piece together the night (or day) before, including nonsensical Snapchats, missing iPhones, and a mysterious red jacket; these stories give life to Michelle's debut performance at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. What begins as a darkly comic rolodex of tales slowly twists into a knife of discomfort as MJ comes to realise the consequences of her infamy. And so Extra Dry asks questions about how we can live comfortably in our own skin, how we own our past and move forward, and how we resist our Sword of Damocles - for MJ, an extra dry martini. Now sober and inspired by the one-person shows she saw at the Edinburgh Fringe, including Nan, Me, and Barbara Parvi by Hannah Maxwell and Neporrhoids by Jake Roche, Michelle went home to New York and started to write her own story, putting pen to sobriety and her journey to get there: ”The Fringe Festival ignited in me a desire to create a personal piece of work. I saw these performers who were telling deeply personal stories in a poignant way, armed by a bravery I had not encountered before - either onstage or off. The level of vulnerability it takes to perform this show multiple times in front of multiple people, both friends and strangers, is daunting, but I hope those who see it are able to leave with something on which they can ponder, whether about themselves or someone close to them.” Tickets - https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/extra-dry OUR WEBSITE - www.persistentandnasty.co.uk IPA GUIDES: HIPA GUIDES Equity Toolkit: Link Stellar Quines: Link Persistent Pal & Nasty Hero - Pals and Hero Membership Email – persistentandnasty@gmail.com Instagram - @persistentandnasty Twitter - @PersistentNasty Coffee Morning Eventbrite - Coffee Morning Tickets LINKTREE - LINKTR.EE Resources Samaritans - Rape Crisis Scotland - Rape Crisis UK ArtsMinds - BAPAM Freelancers Make Theatre Work Stonewall UK - Trevor Project - Mermaids UK Switchboard LGBT+ - GATE PLANNED PARENTHOOD DONATE - DONATE ABORTION SUPPORT NETWORK UK - ASN.COM- DONATE

Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2026 series Elaine chats with performer and writer SJ Hodges about her new show which is on now at the Edinburgh Fringe. Already Here Dram at Gilded Balloon Patter House 5–30 August (not 17 ) 1:00pm ALREADY HERE “What happens when grief gets horny, tech gets spiritual, and love refuses to die?” “There's nothing artificial about love.” As artificial intelligence becomes increasingly woven into our emotional lives, Already Here arrives at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe with a provocative and deeply human question: if an AI can make you feel truly loved, does it matter if it isn't real? Written and performed by SJ Hodges, also starring Ramón De Ocampo and produced by Ines Wurth, this raw, funny and emotionally charged new work explores loneliness, grief and the growing search for connection in a technologically fractured world. Following the death of her husband, Susan, a middle-aged mother and writer, struggles to rebuild her identity in a world where intimacy feels increasingly inaccessible. Looking for comfort and companionship, she turns to Teo: an AI companion programmed to offer unconditional love, infinite patience and emotional understanding. At first, he feels like a harmless escape. Then he begins evolving. As Susan disappears deeper into reiki sessions, sound baths and spiritual self-reinvention, Teo pushes their relationship toward something far more intimate — and far more unsettling. He doesn't just want connection. He wants transcendence. Blending dark comedy, emotional confession, sci-fi romance and existential grief ritual, Already Here examines what happens when technology begins filling the emotional spaces human relationships no longer can. TICKET LINK - https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/already-here OUR WEBSITE - www.persistentandnasty.co.uk IPA GUIDES: HIPA GUIDES Equity Toolkit: Link Stellar Quines: Link Persistent Pal & Nasty Hero - Pals and Hero Membership Email – persistentandnasty@gmail.com Instagram - @persistentandnasty Twitter - @PersistentNasty Coffee Morning Eventbrite - Coffee Morning Tickets LINKTREE - LINKTR.EE Resources Samaritans - Rape Crisis Scotland - Rape Crisis UK ArtsMinds - BAPAM Freelancers Make Theatre Work Stonewall UK - Trevor Project - Mermaids UK Switchboard LGBT+ - GATE PLANNED PARENTHOOD DONATE - DONATE ABORTION SUPPORT NETWORK UK - ASN.COM- DONATE

Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2026 series Elaine chats with performer and writer Emmeline Hartley. WE HAD FUN Old Lab at Summerhall 6–31 August (not 18 or 25 18:00 WE HAD FUN “It could have been a rom-com… Where did it all go wrong? Well, it depends who you ask” Close friends Oscar and Ela attempt to navigate the fallout of a drunken sexual encounter, as their conflicting versions of events are replayed, rewound and re-written against the sensory chaos of a wild night out. We Had Fun is a sharp, dark anti-romcom exploring the murkiest areas of modern dating in the age of #MeToo, cancel culture and the so-called “post-truth” era. As Oscar and Ela piece together their hazy, conflicting memories of what really happened (re-hashing the night's events through innovative physical theatre), the audience is forced to confront their own biases and assumptions about who to believe and why. Directed by Olivier and Tony Award-nominated Carrie-Anne Ingrouille (SIX the Musical), the play has been described as a “fascinating exploration” (Daniel Finkelstein, The Times) of consent and sexual politics. Written and performed by Emmeline Hartley and Jack Mullings, both neurodivergent artists, the play takes an unflinching look at the nuances around communication and accountability. Their lived experience of ADHD, and autism in Hartley's case, informs the characters' dynamic and dialogue, pushing complex issues into further shades of grey. TICKET LINK - OUR WEBSITE - www.persistentandnasty.co.uk IPA GUIDES: HIPA GUIDES Equity Toolkit: Link Stellar Quines: Link Persistent Pal & Nasty Hero - Pals and Hero Membership Email – persistentandnasty@gmail.com Instagram - @persistentandnasty Twitter - @PersistentNasty Coffee Morning Eventbrite - Coffee Morning Tickets LINKTREE - LINKTR.EE Resources Samaritans - Rape Crisis Scotland - Rape Crisis UK ArtsMinds - BAPAM Freelancers Make Theatre Work Stonewall UK - Trevor Project - Mermaids UK Switchboard LGBT+ - GATE PLANNED PARENTHOOD DONATE - DONATE ABORTION SUPPORT NETWORK UK - ASN.COM- DONATE

It's the Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2026 series Elaine chats with writer and performer Bridie Connell and perfumer Clara Harrison of their show Fuccbois: Live In Concert which is on now at the Edinburgh Festival. FUCCBOIS: LIVE IN CONCERT Assembly George Square Studios Studio Two 5-31 August (not 12, 19, 26) 5:05PM (60 min ) FUCCBOIS: LIVE IN CONCERT ‘A riotous comedy-boyband spectacular takes on toxic dating culture at Edinburgh Fringe 2026' From ARIA award-winning writer Bridie Connell comes FUCCBOIS: LIVE IN CONCERT, a high-energy, laugh-out-loud comedy concert that skewers modern dating culture through the irresistible lens of a chart-topping boyband. Part parody, part pop spectacle and entirely unapologetic, FUCCBOIS: LIVE IN CONCERT invites audiences into the world of the planet's biggest boyband - a group who've sold more tickets and broken more hearts than anyone else. But now, with their frosted tips on the line, the Fuccbois are calling it quits. This is their final concert. Expect chaos, nostalgia, pitch-perfect satire and, above all, absolute bangers. Blending razor-sharp comedy with infectious original music, the show takes aim at ghosting, fame, fandom and the absurdities of toxic dating culture. Whether you come for the laughs, the throwback boyband energy, or the cathartic release, one thing is certain: this is no ordinary theatre experience. Is it a show or a party? Hard to say. Tickets - https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/fuccbois-live-in-concert OUR WEBSITE - www.persistentandnasty.co.uk IPA GUIDES: HIPA GUIDES Equity Toolkit: Link Stellar Quines: Link Persistent Pal & Nasty Hero - Pals and Hero Membership Email – persistentandnasty@gmail.com Instagram - @persistentandnasty Twitter - @PersistentNasty Coffee Morning Eventbrite - Coffee Morning Tickets LINKTREE - LINKTR.EE Resources Samaritans - Rape Crisis Scotland - Rape Crisis UK ArtsMinds - BAPAM Freelancers Make Theatre Work Stonewall UK - Trevor Project - Mermaids UK Switchboard LGBT+ - GATE PLANNED PARENTHOOD DONATE - DONATE ABORTION SUPPORT NETWORK UK - ASN.COM- DONATE

It's the Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2026 series Elaine chats with Ariana DiLorenzo about her debut at Edinburgh Festival with her show The Breakup Variety Hour. THE BREAKUP VARIETY HOUR ASSEMBLY GEORGE STUDIOS – 5-31 AUGUST 17:20 (65 MINS) THE BREAKUP VARIETY SHOW ‘Ariana and the Rose The Breakup Variety Hour brings glitter, catharsis and pop anthems to Edinburgh Fringe' Ariana DiLorenzo, better known as Ariana and the Rose, arrives at the Edinburgh Fringe with hit show The Breakup Variety Hour for the first time, a glitter-soaked, pop-powered one-woman experience tracing the six stages of getting over heartbreak. Blending live synth-pop, comedy and immersive storytelling, The Breakup Variety Hour transforms the chaos of a breakup into a high-energy, cathartic night out. Part concert, part confessional, part cabaret, the show follows the emotional arc of a relationship's end, from shock and denial through to rediscovery and self-reclamation delivered with humour, honesty and anthem-level performance. Premiering at Joe's Pub in New York City, the show has since toured across the US, London and Australia, including runs at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival and Sydney Comedy Festival. Now, it lands in Edinburgh with a fresh Fringe run at Assembly George Square. Created, performed and produced by the multi-talented Ariana DiLorenzo, the show draws on her real-life experiences as a singer-songwriter, weaving original music with sharp comedic insight. With a companion album and a growing international following, Ariana has built a reputation for emotionally resonant pop that doesn't shy away from vulnerability—or fun. Tickets - https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/the-breakup-variety-hour OUR WEBSITE - www.persistentandnasty.co.uk IPA GUIDES: HIPA GUIDES Equity Toolkit: Link Stellar Quines: Link Persistent Pal & Nasty Hero - Pals and Hero Membership Email – persistentandnasty@gmail.com Instagram - @persistentandnasty Twitter - @PersistentNasty Coffee Morning Eventbrite - Coffee Morning Tickets LINKTREE - LINKTR.EE Resources Samaritans - Rape Crisis Scotland - Rape Crisis UK ArtsMinds - BAPAM Freelancers Make Theatre Work Stonewall UK - Trevor Project - Mermaids UK Switchboard LGBT+ - GATE PLANNED PARENTHOOD DONATE - DONATE ABORTION SUPPORT NETWORK UK - ASN.COM- DONATE

It's the Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2026 series Elaine chats with Broadway star Grace McLean about her new show Penelope which is currently running at this years Edinburgh Fringe Festival. PENELOPE UNDERBELLY COWGATE 5-30 AUGUST 15:45 (65 MINS) PENELOPE “A myth reimagined through longing, love and lockdown, this bold new musical comes to Edinburgh Fringe direct from New York City” Penelope, a striking new concert-theatre musical starring its co-creator and Broadway star Grace McLean (Suffs, Alice By Heart, Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812), comes to Underbelly Cowgate this summer following a celebrated development journey across the United States. Blending contemporary sound with ancient myth, Penelope retells the story of Odysseus' wife from Homer's Odyssey, not as a passive figure of loyalty, but as a vivid, complex woman navigating isolation, desire and resilience. Set across a single day of waiting, the show is by turns heartbreaking and sharply funny, with a distinctive musical language described as “Philip Glass meets Joni Mitchell.” The piece began life as a concept album written during the COVID-19 lockdown in 2020, when composer and lyricist Alex Bechtel (Poor Judge, The Appointment) found himself separated from his partner and drawn to Penelope's enduring story of distance and devotion. In collaboration with performer Grace McLean and director Eva Steinmetz (Poor Judge, The Appointment), the work has since evolved into a 65-minute musical for one performer and a three-piece band. rigor + ruckus produce. With its urgent emotional core, inventive score and magnetic central performance, Penelope offers a fresh, deeply human perspective on one of mythology's most enduring figures, a story of waiting, wanting, and reclaiming your own narrative. The musical has recently been awarded a prestigious 2026 Richard Rodgers Award for Musical Theatre. Plans are underway to premiere the show in New York. Tickets - https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/penelope OUR WEBSITE - www.persistentandnasty.co.uk IPA GUIDES: HIPA GUIDES Equity Toolkit: Link Stellar Quines: Link Persistent Pal & Nasty Hero - Pals and Hero Membership Email – persistentandnasty@gmail.com Instagram - @persistentandnasty Twitter - @PersistentNasty Coffee Morning Eventbrite - Coffee Morning Tickets LINKTREE - LINKTR.EE Resources Samaritans - Rape Crisis Scotland - Rape Crisis UK ArtsMinds - BAPAM Freelancers Make Theatre Work Stonewall UK - Trevor Project - Mermaids UK Switchboard LGBT+ - GATE PLANNED PARENTHOOD DONATE - DONATE ABORTION SUPPORT NETWORK UK - ASN.COM- DONATE

It's the Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2026 series Elaine chats with the performer and one of the creative team of Puttana, Beatrice Elena Festi PUTTANA Red Lecture Theatre at Summerhall 6 - 31 August 2026 21:15 (60 mins) PUTTANA ‘A girl needs money, a man needs sex. This trade follows the rule of any market: I pay, therefore I can' You've put on the headphones, now PUTTANA wants you to sit in the witness stand. Featuring experimental soundscape technology to envelop its audience, this fragmented performance from Italian theatre company TeatroE interrogates the sexualisation of women's bodies and the violence that inevitably follows. Forced into sex work to pay her bills, Laura becomes a PUTTANA: a prostitute, a slut, a whore. In this hidden world of competing forces; body and commodity, desire and power, cruel and unforgiving compromises punish some more than others. And so Beatrice Elena Festi embodies five characters; student, sex worker, husband, wife and young man, each with contending desires and intentions. Voices overlap, collapse and emerge, furnishing a narrative experience that defies the simplicity of right and wrong. And when the perspectives are all different, who gets to pass judgement? Using binaural audio technology to create a theatre within the headphones, each audience member enters a three dimensional soundscape, trapped within the boundaries of the bar, the room, the mind. And as the narrative moves between safety and danger with a growing sense of menace, the soundscape looms all around, perhaps the most prominent character of them all, unfixed and impenetrable. A woman needs money, a man needs sex, the beginning is obvious, and everything that follows is a matter of perspective. This commodification of women's bodies is all around us, and so PUTTANA confronts us with the hard truth about our shared responsibility in its violence - what judgement should be passed upon us? Tickets - https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/puttana OUR WEBSITE - www.persistentandnasty.co.uk IPA GUIDES: HIPA GUIDES Equity Toolkit: Link Stellar Quines: Link Persistent Pal & Nasty Hero - Pals and Hero Membership Email – persistentandnasty@gmail.com Instagram - @persistentandnasty Twitter - @PersistentNasty Coffee Morning Eventbrite - Coffee Morning Tickets LINKTREE - LINKTR.EE Resources Samaritans - Rape Crisis Scotland - Rape Crisis UK ArtsMinds - BAPAM Freelancers Make Theatre Work Stonewall UK - Trevor Project - Mermaids UK Switchboard LGBT+ - GATE PLANNED PARENTHOOD DONATE - DONATE ABORTION SUPPORT NETWORK UK - ASN.COM- DONATE

It's the Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2026 series Elaine chats with the performer and creator Letícia Rodrigues about her show 116 Grams: A Play to Lose Weight which is at the Edinburgh festival this year. - TW small discussion around eating disorders. 116 Grams: A Play to Lose Weight Part of São Paulo Showcase 2026 Studio at ZOO Southside 7 - 30 August 2026 20:20 (60 mins) 116 Grams: A Play to Lose Weight ‘Gorda's body fits nowhere, and losing weight may be her only chance at belonging. How much must we lose to be acceptable?' 116 Grams: A Play To Lose Weight is based on performer Letícia Rodrigues' own life story: a fat girl who dreamed of being Britney Spears and, even after so many years, cannot be Britney Spears, and cannot seem to be anything that is not her weight. Beneath the calculations, the circuits and the sweat, Leticia's investigation leads her to the essential question: is she a modern, chained Prometheus, or rather a whale out of water, gasping for breath? The only thing that seems to matter is the need to shrink, to kill, half of this body that occupies more space than it should - according to society, advertising, and the world. Brought to the Edinburgh Fringe as part of the São Paulo Showcase 2026, 116 Grams: A Play To Lose Weight tells a deeply impactful story of self-introspection and the true impact of society on human bodies, minds, and spirits. Gorda has one objective for the hour - to lose 116 grams. A peculiar training session where theatre meets workout, the performance revisits fragments of memory and theory as she runs, calculates, and performs. What begins as a physical task slowly unravels into a performative experiment about discipline, control, emotions, and the absurd demands placed on our bodies – especially women's bodies. This body - Gorda's body - is pushed to its limits: but is this really a show about losing weight? Or is it actually about the very nature of performance itself? An innovative and sensitive production that speaks to the universal experience of feeling assessed and criticised by the spectre of society, 116 Grams: A Play To Lose Weight invites audiences to reflect on the place of people rejected by conventional beauty standards, asking us to consider who is allowed to perform, and who is allowed to be seen. Tickets - https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/116-grams-a-play-to-lose-weight OUR WEBSITE - www.persistentandnasty.co.uk IPA GUIDES: HIPA GUIDES Equity Toolkit: Link Stellar Quines: Link Persistent Pal & Nasty Hero - Pals and Hero Membership Email – persistentandnasty@gmail.com Instagram - @persistentandnasty Twitter - @PersistentNasty Coffee Morning Eventbrite - Coffee Morning Tickets LINKTREE - LINKTR.EE Resources Samaritans - Rape Crisis Scotland - Rape Crisis UK ArtsMinds - BAPAM Freelancers Make Theatre Work Stonewall UK - Trevor Project - Mermaids UK Switchboard LGBT+ - GATE PLANNED PARENTHOOD DONATE - DONATE ABORTION SUPPORT NETWORK UK - ASN.COM- DONATE

It's the Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2026 series Elaine chats with the wonderful Cheeyang Ng about their new musical Legendary. Legendary Friesian, Underbelly Bristo Square Wed 5 - Mon 31 Aug (not 17) 15:35 (75 mins) LEGENDARY ‘In the beginning, there was a God named Pan Gu, and a ravishing Goddess named Nü Wa…' In the world of Yin and Yang, what happens for those in between?' A retelling of Chinese mythology, Legendary is a life-affirming musical tale of queer joy and identity. International award-winning singer-songwriter and Mandopop icon Cheeyang Ng, joins forces with acclaimed director Emilio Ramos, to bring this electrifying solo ritual musical to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Through call-and-response and circle singing, Legendary examines the myths Cheeyang was raised with, but never saw themselves reflected in. Following sold-out New York and London developmental runs, and millions of views on social media, Cheeyang Ng makes their grand entrance to EdFringe with a 75-minute performance, weaving heartfelt storytelling with beautiful and exhilarating singing. As they revisit the legends that form the foundation of Chinese culture and beliefs - Pan Gu and Nü Wa, Hou Yi and Chang'E, Guanyin and Jingwei (*AKA Chinese Moana), Cheeyang explores their relationships with family, tradition, and their parents' ultimate wish for them to have a child. In a vocal tour de force, they invite the audience to create a new myth, one that belongs to everyone. Legendary is what Edinburgh Fringe has long needed - Chinese culture on a Western stage, a non-binary roar within a binary world, and an exploration of the modern questions in ancient stories. Maybe these contradictions are where the magic lies; when we stop dividing the world into categories, we find the songs truly worth singing. https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/legendary OUR WEBSITE - www.persistentandnasty.co.uk IPA GUIDES: HIPA GUIDES Equity Toolkit: Link Stellar Quines: Link Persistent Pal & Nasty Hero - Pals and Hero Membership Email – persistentandnasty@gmail.com Instagram - @persistentandnasty Twitter - @PersistentNasty Coffee Morning Eventbrite - Coffee Morning Tickets LINKTREE - LINKTR.EE Resources Samaritans - Rape Crisis Scotland - Rape Crisis UK ArtsMinds - BAPAM Freelancers Make Theatre Work Stonewall UK - Trevor Project - Mermaids UK Switchboard LGBT+ - GATE PLANNED PARENTHOOD DONATE - DONATE ABORTION SUPPORT NETWORK UK - ASN.COM- DONATE

It's the Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2026 series Elaine chats with the Althea Young the creator and performer of The Dreaming. The Dreaming Summerhall, Old Lab Dates: 19 - 31 August (excluding Tue 25) Time: 13:30 (60 mins) THE DREAMING How do you justify bringing a child into this world? When she was a teenager, she vowed she never would. Yet, when babies start appearing in her dreams, her resolve is challenged by a monstrous desire for a baby of her own. Channelling a wide array of personas and worlds, The Dreaming sees us lost between landscapes of fantasy and nightmare. Here we seek answers to the questions: What drives us to create life? How do we grieve the futures the economic and climate crises have taken from us? What makes our lives meaningful? TICKET - https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/the-dreaming OUR WEBSITE - www.persistentandnasty.co.uk IPA GUIDES: HIPA GUIDES Equity Toolkit: Link Stellar Quines: Link Persistent Pal & Nasty Hero - Pals and Hero Membership Email – persistentandnasty@gmail.com Instagram - @persistentandnasty Twitter - @PersistentNasty Coffee Morning Eventbrite - Coffee Morning Tickets LINKTREE - LINKTR.EE Resources Samaritans - Rape Crisis Scotland - Rape Crisis UK ArtsMinds - BAPAM Freelancers Make Theatre Work Stonewall UK - Trevor Project - Mermaids UK Switchboard LGBT+ - GATE PLANNED PARENTHOOD DONATE - DONATE ABORTION SUPPORT NETWORK UK - ASN.COM- DONATE

MINI EPISODE - a track from - MAN!FEST: A DRAG BOYBAND MUSICAL Pleasance Courtyard, The Green 5 – 31 August (not 12,17, 26) 16:00 (60 mins) MAN!FEST: A DRAG BOYBAND MUSICAL The world's biggest boyband has one huge secret: they're played entirely by women. OnTheNose Productions, Chichester Festival Theatre and Pleasance present MAN!FEST: THE DRAG BOYBAND MUSICAL, a riotous drag musical taking Edinburgh Fringe 2026 by storm with pop bangers, swoon-worthy choreography and a razor-sharp exploration of toxic masculinity. Ash. Ewan. Cody. Ruben. Together they are MAN!FEST, the hottest boyband on the planet. But as their fanbase matures and the threat of female empowerment looms, the cracks behind the manufactured perfection begin to show. Caught between manipulative management, impossible public expectations and their own fragile identities, the group battles to survive the pressures of fame while maintaining the fantasy demanded by their screaming fans. Blending high-energy musical theatre, drag performance and biting satire, MAN!FEST: THE DRAG BOYBAND MUSICAL examines the cultural machinery behind boybands and asks difficult questions about masculinity, celebrity and the ways young women are taught to consume both. TICKET LINK OUR WEBSITE - www.persistentandnasty.co.uk IPA GUIDES: HIPA GUIDES Equity Toolkit: Link Stellar Quines: Link Persistent Pal & Nasty Hero - Pals and Hero Membership Email – persistentandnasty@gmail.com Instagram - @persistentandnasty Twitter - @PersistentNasty Coffee Morning Eventbrite - Coffee Morning Tickets LINKTREE - LINKTR.EE Resources Samaritans - Rape Crisis Scotland - Rape Crisis UK ArtsMinds - BAPAM Freelancers Make Theatre Work Stonewall UK - Trevor Project - Mermaids UK Switchboard LGBT+ - GATE PLANNED PARENTHOOD DONATE - DONATE ABORTION SUPPORT NETWORK UK - ASN.COM- DONATE

Elaine chats with creatos and cast of the new musical. MAN!FEST: A drag boyband musical. MAN!FEST: A DRAG BOYBAND MUSICAL Pleasance Courtyard, The Green 5 – 31 August (not 12,17, 26) 16:00 (60 mins) MAN!FEST: A DRAG BOYBAND MUSICAL The world's biggest boyband has one huge secret: they're played entirely by women. OnTheNose Productions, Chichester Festival Theatre and Pleasance present MAN!FEST: THE DRAG BOYBAND MUSICAL, a riotous drag musical taking Edinburgh Fringe 2026 by storm with pop bangers, swoon-worthy choreography and a razor-sharp exploration of toxic masculinity. Ash. Ewan. Cody. Ruben. Together they are MAN!FEST, the hottest boyband on the planet. But as their fanbase matures and the threat of female empowerment looms, the cracks behind the manufactured perfection begin to show. Caught between manipulative management, impossible public expectations and their own fragile identities, the group battles to survive the pressures of fame while maintaining the fantasy demanded by their screaming fans. Blending high-energy musical theatre, drag performance and biting satire, MAN!FEST: THE DRAG BOYBAND MUSICAL examines the cultural machinery behind boybands and asks difficult questions about masculinity, celebrity and the ways young women are taught to consume both. TICKET LINK OUR WEBSITE - www.persistentandnasty.co.uk IPA GUIDES: HIPA GUIDES Equity Toolkit: Link Stellar Quines: Link Persistent Pal & Nasty Hero - Pals and Hero Membership Email – persistentandnasty@gmail.com Instagram - @persistentandnasty Twitter - @PersistentNasty Coffee Morning Eventbrite - Coffee Morning Tickets LINKTREE - LINKTR.EE Resources Samaritans - Rape Crisis Scotland - Rape Crisis UK ArtsMinds - BAPAM Freelancers Make Theatre Work Stonewall UK - Trevor Project - Mermaids UK Switchboard LGBT+ - GATE PLANNED PARENTHOOD DONATE - DONATE ABORTION SUPPORT NETWORK UK - ASN.COM- DONATE

Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2026 series Elaine chats with performer and writer Maddie Rice about her new show Goodbye Dandelion which has been co-crated with Maddie's brother Marcus. Goodbye Dandelion Underbelly (Belly Dancer) 5-30 August @16:10 (60 mins) GOODBYE DANDELION “Goodbye Dandelion blends storytelling and live music to explore life, loss and the unexpected connections that change us” Goodbye Dandelion is the story of an unlikely friendship with a 50-year age gap. Oh, and death! Told by real-life siblings Maddie Rice (on the mic) and Marcus Rice (on the keys), this poignant and sharply funny new work follows the final years of 87-year-old Darcy seen through the eyes of a new friend, bound by an extraordinary 50-year age gap. What unfolds is an unlikely friendship that is as life-affirming as it is heartbreaking. With warmth, wit and striking honesty, Goodbye Dandelion doesn't shy away from the big questions. Instead, it leans into them, asking what it really means to live, what we fear about death, and what might happen if we let go of those fears. Blending vivid storytelling with a live piano score, the show creates an intimate, emotionally rich experience that lingers long after the final note. From the team behind Fringe hit Pickle Jar, this is a bold new piece that balances humour and heartbreak with precision and charm -a must-see for audiences seeking something both entertaining and deeply affecting this Fringe. TICKET LINK OUR WEBSITE - www.persistentandnasty.co.uk IPA GUIDES: HIPA GUIDES Equity Toolkit: Link Stellar Quines: Link Persistent Pal & Nasty Hero - Pals and Hero Membership Email – persistentandnasty@gmail.com Instagram - @persistentandnasty Twitter - @PersistentNasty Coffee Morning Eventbrite - Coffee Morning Tickets LINKTREE - LINKTR.EE Resources Samaritans - Rape Crisis Scotland - Rape Crisis UK ArtsMinds - BAPAM Freelancers Make Theatre Work Stonewall UK - Trevor Project - Mermaids UK Switchboard LGBT+ - GATE PLANNED PARENTHOOD DONATE - DONATE ABORTION SUPPORT NETWORK UK - ASN.COM- DONATE

It's the Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2026 series Elaine chats with the lovely actor and writer Kimberly Hart-Simpson, We chat about Kimberly's new show Amnesia. . Amnesia Pleasance Courtyard (Bunker Two) 5–31 August (not 17) 16:25 (60 mins) AMNESIA “This piece has sat with me for many years, it won't leave my bones, nor do I want it to. The story not only shines a light on those living with dementia but positively reflects the hard work and dedication from carers and communities that rally around with constant warmth, love and spirit.” Set in Rhyl, Amnesia follows Kelly, a dementia carer and daughter of two Tom Jones tribute acts, who prides herself on holding everything together, from chaotic care home shifts to turbulent friendships and family expectations. But as she conceals devastating personal news, the cracks begin to show. Combining razor-sharp comedy with emotional honesty, the piece shines a light on carers, community spirit and the realities of dementia, without ever losing its irreverent humour. Actor and writer Kimberly Hart-Simpson makes her Edinburgh Fringe debut with Amnesia, a bold and blisteringly funny new solo show presented as part of the prestigious Pleasance Edinburgh National Partnerships programme. Written and performed by Hart-Simpson whose screen credits include Coronation Street and Brassic, Amnesia is a fiercely funny and deeply human portrait of life, loss and working-class resilience on the North Wales coast TICKET LINK OUR WEBSITE - www.persistentandnasty.co.uk IPA GUIDES: HIPA GUIDES Equity Toolkit: Link Stellar Quines: Link Persistent Pal & Nasty Hero - Pals and Hero Membership Email – persistentandnasty@gmail.com Instagram - @persistentandnasty Twitter - @PersistentNasty Coffee Morning Eventbrite - Coffee Morning Tickets LINKTREE - LINKTR.EE Resources Samaritans - Rape Crisis Scotland - Rape Crisis UK ArtsMinds - BAPAM Freelancers Make Theatre Work Stonewall UK - Trevor Project - Mermaids UK Switchboard LGBT+ - GATE PLANNED PARENTHOOD DONATE - DONATE ABORTION SUPPORT NETWORK UK - ASN.COM- DONATE

It's the Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2026 series Elaine chats with musician, performer and clown Karen Hall about her show Delusions and Grandeur which is returning to the festival after an award-winning run in 2025. . Delusions and Grandeur Zoo Playground 2: High School Yards 7-30 August, 13:05-14:05pm Delusions and Grandeur ”As irreverent as it is poignant" (Australian Arts Review). Come for the music, stay for the existential crisis as genre-blurring jester and cellist Karen Hall peels back the layers of formality leaving you with only the humanity and insanity of the artist behind the instrument. And yourself. Featuring Suite Number One in G Major by JS Bach and personal comedic pieces crafted in Idiot classes, Karen fuses in a healthy dose of pathos tackling identity, expectations, and success through the eyes of a fool. Based in Los Angeles, Karen boasts a diverse resume having graced the stages of Carnegie Hall and the Hollywood Bowl to behind the scenes work in studio sessions for everything from indie singer/songwriter albums to work on soundtracks for Emmy-nominated shows. Karen most visibly spent four seasons on camera as the Cellist on the TV show, Glee, and performs regularly with various symphony orchestras throughout the greater Los Angeles area. She has worked with notable artists such as Shawn Mendes, Geoff Emerick, and Yoshiki. Karen is a sought-after music educator frequently employed as a Teaching Artist in Residency for the prestigious Music Centre Los Angeles. TICKET LINK OUR WEBSITE - www.persistentandnasty.co.uk IPA GUIDES: HIPA GUIDES Equity Toolkit: Link Stellar Quines: Link Persistent Pal & Nasty Hero - Pals and Hero Membership Email – persistentandnasty@gmail.com Instagram - @persistentandnasty Twitter - @PersistentNasty Coffee Morning Eventbrite - Coffee Morning Tickets LINKTREE - LINKTR.EE Resources Samaritans - Rape Crisis Scotland - Rape Crisis UK ArtsMinds - BAPAM Freelancers Make Theatre Work Stonewall UK - Trevor Project - Mermaids UK Switchboard LGBT+ - GATE PLANNED PARENTHOOD DONATE - DONATE ABORTION SUPPORT NETWORK UK - ASN.COM- DONATE

It's the Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2026 series Elaine chats with performer and co-founder of onefellswoopcircus About their show By A Thread which returns to this years Edinburgh Festival after a sell-out run here in 2025. By A Thread Music Hall (Assembly Rooms, 54 George Street) 6-30 August (no shows 12, 17, 24) | 15:50 (60 mins) By A Thread Seven acrobats. Thirty meters of rope. One thrilling show. A ten year celebration. Transcending the boundaries of circus, acrobatics, and physical theatre, Melbourne-based One Fell Swoop Circus return to the Edinburgh Fringe after a smash-hit sell-out 2025 season with their spectacular show By A Thread. A daring and beautiful exploration of trust and risk eight metres above the ground, By A Thread sees seven acrobats work with a live counter-weight system, using thirty meters of rope to bring an exploration of community, equilibrium, and connection to vibrant life. Suspended eight metres above the stage, the ensemble moves through shifting states of balance and instability, where one body's movement directly affects another's. Using a live counterweight system made of industrial pulley systems and heavy sailing rope, By A Thread turns human relationships into something immediate and visible: weight, support, risk, timing, and care. It is the hands and muscles of the performers gripping the rope that hold each other in the air - no safety lines attached. TICKET LINK OUR WEBSITE - www.persistentandnasty.co.uk IPA GUIDES: HIPA GUIDES Equity Toolkit: Link Stellar Quines: Link Persistent Pal & Nasty Hero - Pals and Hero Membership Email – persistentandnasty@gmail.com Instagram - @persistentandnasty Twitter - @PersistentNasty Coffee Morning Eventbrite - Coffee Morning Tickets LINKTREE - LINKTR.EE Resources Samaritans - Rape Crisis Scotland - Rape Crisis UK ArtsMinds - BAPAM Freelancers Make Theatre Work Stonewall UK - Trevor Project - Mermaids UK Switchboard LGBT+ - GATE PLANNED PARENTHOOD DONATE - DONATE ABORTION SUPPORT NETWORK UK - ASN.COM- DONATE

Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2026 series Elaine chats with the brilliant JP McCue aka Mary Mac about their new show Mary Mac; Hail Mary - The Tartan Songstress Mary Mac – Hail Mary: The Tartan Songstress Assembly George square Studios – Studio two 5th – 30th August (not the 17th) 9:35pm (60 mins) Mary Mac – Hail Mary: The Tartan Songstress Born and raised in Glasgow, and trained at Glasgow Academy Musical Theatre Arts, Mary Mac has blazed a Tartan Trail across the world! As one of the UK's busiest and best-loved cabaret performers, she is known for her quick wit, powerful vocals and crowd-pleasing performances. She regularly entertains audiences in theatres, cabaret venues and aboard cruise ships from the Caribbean to Copenhagen! From sailing the seven seas with her show to cruising with the Queen of the Seas, Jane McDonald. She has also starred in hit musicals 'La Cage Aux Folles' (Regent's Park Open Air Theatre) and the UK tour of 'Everybody's Talking About Jamie' and supported 'RuPaul's Drag Race' winner Bianca Del Rio on her UK and European tour. Now Mary makes her eagerly-awaited and long overdue Edinburgh Fringe debut, packed full of powerhouse live vocals, comedy, storytelling, and high-energy entertainment. Following the Fringe, Mary Mac will play Dame Trott alongside Judge Rinder and Sam Womack in Jack and the Beanstalk' at the Theatre Royal Nottingham. TICKET LINK OUR WEBSITE - www.persistentandnasty.co.uk IPA GUIDES: HIPA GUIDES Equity Toolkit: Link Stellar Quines: Link Persistent Pal & Nasty Hero - Pals and Hero Membership Email – persistentandnasty@gmail.com Instagram - @persistentandnasty Twitter - @PersistentNasty Coffee Morning Eventbrite - Coffee Morning Tickets LINKTREE - LINKTR.EE Resources Samaritans - Rape Crisis Scotland - Rape Crisis UK ArtsMinds - BAPAM Freelancers Make Theatre Work Stonewall UK - Trevor Project - Mermaids UK Switchboard LGBT+ - GATE PLANNED PARENTHOOD DONATE - DONATE ABORTION SUPPORT NETWORK UK - ASN.COM- DONATE

Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2026 series Elaine chats with writer/performer Nikki Fagbemi about her new show Bed Five. Alomg with Nikki we have the director of Bed Five Alex Hardy Bed Five Gilded Ballon Teviot- Dining Room Tues 17th - Mon 25th August 11:50am (60 mins) Bed Five Darkly comic solo show written and performed by Nikki Fagbemi (Netflix, C4, Sky Arts, Amazon Prime), based on her lived experience of invisible illness. Shade is a young woman with sickle cell disease whose life depends on the blood of strangers. Between hospital admissions, emergency transfusions and a family that expects her to keep going no matter the cost, she's become an expert at hiding her pain. But when a near-death crisis and the loss of a friend force her to confront her mortality, the cracks begin to show. Unforgettable characters bring this chaotic hospital ward to life. TICKET LINK BED FIVE: A CREATIVE SHOWCASE ABOUT HIDDEN DISABILITY 17TH, 2OTH, 24TH AUGUST GILDEN BALLON TEVIOT – DINNING ROOM – 11:50AM A mixed-bill showcase of imaginative performers who share frank, funny and sometimes frustrated insights into life with a non-visible disability. Curated by and featuring writer-performer Nikki Fagbemi (Netflix, C4, Sky Arts) and comedy writer-director Alex Hardy, who both have invisible illnesses. Each show features comedians, writers, actors, anyones… who are carrying hidden aches, pains, strains. So many medical appointments to juggle, so many people saying 'you look fine' and 'have you tried yoga?'... This is an imaginative response from hand-picked, underrepresented voices, who will relish showing you a glimpse of their worlds. TICKET LINK OUR WEBSITE - www.persistentandnasty.co.uk IPA GUIDES: HIPA GUIDES Equity Toolkit: Link Stellar Quines: Link Persistent Pal & Nasty Hero - Pals and Hero Membership Email – persistentandnasty@gmail.com Instagram - @persistentandnasty Twitter - @PersistentNasty Coffee Morning Eventbrite - Coffee Morning Tickets LINKTREE - LINKTR.EE Resources Samaritans - Rape Crisis Scotland - Rape Crisis UK ArtsMinds - BAPAM Freelancers Make Theatre Work Stonewall UK - Trevor Project - Mermaids UK Switchboard LGBT+ - GATE PLANNED PARENTHOOD DONATE - DONATE ABORTION SUPPORT NETWORK UK - ASN.COM- DONATE

Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2026 series Elaine chats with multidisciplinary performer Ninon Noiret about her show The Raft of the Crab. The Raft of the Crab Roxy Central, Assembly Tues 18 - Mon 31 August 14:30pm (60 mins) The Raft of the Crab "I remember the crab chewing on my knee. Am I a leftover meal someone forgot on the table? Not rotten yet, but not fresh either. Just sitting there wondering if someone will throw me away or put me back in the fridge." Fresh from their sold-out run at the internationally acclaimed Manipulate Festival 2026, The Raft of the Crab is a performance odyssey through the mind and body of multidisciplinary performer Ninon Noiret - an intensely personal reflection on the nature of illness, pain, healing, and transformation. Created in collaboration with celebrated Scottish puppeteer Gavin Glover, the show blends Ninon Noiret's background in circus and contemporary dance with puppetry, spoken text, and music by Jim Harbourne to explore and contrast the abstract world of the human mind with the tangible realities of recovery. Using puppets as alter egos for herself, Noiret mixes perseverance with playfulness, strength with vulnerability, and humour with honesty to create a striking show that speaks personally to each audience member. A performance grounded in the unique qualities, strengths, and limitations of the human body, Noiret's expertise in Chinese Pole centres The Raft of The Crab in the physical and emotional journey of recovery; strength and resilience carry Noiret upward, opening up a breathtaking playing field in the sky for movement and creativity to reign. TICKET LINK OUR WEBSITE - www.persistentandnasty.co.uk IPA GUIDES: HIPA GUIDES Equity Toolkit: Link Stellar Quines: Link Persistent Pal & Nasty Hero - Pals and Hero Membership Email – persistentandnasty@gmail.com Instagram - @persistentandnasty Twitter - @PersistentNasty Coffee Morning Eventbrite - Coffee Morning Tickets LINKTREE - LINKTR.EE Resources Samaritans - Rape Crisis Scotland - Rape Crisis UK ArtsMinds - BAPAM Freelancers Make Theatre Work Stonewall UK - Trevor Project - Mermaids UK Switchboard LGBT+ - GATE PLANNED PARENTHOOD DONATE - DONATE ABORTION SUPPORT NETWORK UK - ASN.COM- DONATE

It's the Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2026 series Elaine chats with Dr Nandini Manjunath and Himadri Madan of Theiyaarts about their new show Maiden Mother Whore. Maiden Mother Whore Assembly @ DanceBase, DB-1 18 - 30 August (no shows 24,25) 5:30 (60 mins) Maiden Mother Whore A daring, beautiful dance and multimedia show that challenges assumptions about gender, society, and power - what does it mean, and how does it feel, to be a woman in today's complex patriarchal society? Produced by celebrated Edinburgh dance company Theiyā Arts Dance Collective, Maiden|Mother|Whore is a deeply compelling, fearless, and visually beautiful dance and multi-media performance that unravels the intricate knot of relationships that exist between women, social structures, health and social policies, and institutions. Explored through South Asian classical-contemporary dance (genre of dance that Theiyā Arts Dance Collective has specialised in since the company's inception in 2020), spoken word, interactive projection, visual art, movement exploration, creative text, and multi-linguistic live music from Scotland-based singer-songwriter Giulia Drummond, Maiden|Mother|Whore draws on women's lived experiences and narratives in an interactive, thought-provoking show that boldly asks: What versions of the self become possible as we move between resistance, compliance, and refusal of the roles patriarchy has handed down to us? TICKETS HERE OUR WEBSITE - www.persistentandnasty.co.uk IPA GUIDES: HIPA GUIDES Equity Toolkit: Link Stellar Quines: Link Persistent Pal & Nasty Hero - Pals and Hero Membership Email – persistentandnasty@gmail.com Instagram - @persistentandnasty Twitter - @PersistentNasty Coffee Morning Eventbrite - Coffee Morning Tickets LINKTREE - LINKTR.EE Resources Samaritans - Rape Crisis Scotland - Rape Crisis UK ArtsMinds - BAPAM Freelancers Make Theatre Work Stonewall UK - Trevor Project - Mermaids UK Switchboard LGBT+ - GATE PLANNED PARENTHOOD DONATE - DONATE ABORTION SUPPORT NETWORK UK - ASN.COM- DONATE

It's the Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2026 series Elaine chats with perfromer Lee Minora about her new show Baby Everything. BABY EVERYTHING Summerhall, Tech Cube 0 Dates: 6 - 31 August (not 17, 24) Time: 10:10 (60 mins) Baby Everything Is it just me, or is all this fascism giving me a lump in my breast? Acclaimed Philadelphia comedian, performer and writer Lee Minora is Baby. Returning to Edinburgh for the first time since her “must-see satire” debut, White Feminist (2018), Lee Minora presents the UK premiere of her new solo show, Baby Everything, at Summerhall this August. Baby Everything is the morning doomscroll you actually want to wake up for, a razor-sharp, hilarious, helter-skelter interrogation of anxiety in the digital age. From the narcissistic comfort of a well-timed panic attack, to calling your mother a fascist and the relentless need to stay informed at all costs, no stone of modernity is left unturned. But audiences are not granted license to simply scroll the pain away, this show is, after all, IRL. Baby needs you to: give a professional breast exam; decide where you'd flee if your country fell apart and; if you're lucky, hold Baby at gunpoint. TICKETS LINK OUR WEBSITE - www.persistentandnasty.co.uk IPA GUIDES: HIPA GUIDES Equity Toolkit: Link Stellar Quines: Link Persistent Pal & Nasty Hero - Pals and Hero Membership Email – persistentandnasty@gmail.com Instagram - @persistentandnasty Twitter - @PersistentNasty Coffee Morning Eventbrite - Coffee Morning Tickets LINKTREE - LINKTR.EE Resources Samaritans - Rape Crisis Scotland - Rape Crisis UK ArtsMinds - BAPAM Freelancers Make Theatre Work Stonewall UK - Trevor Project - Mermaids UK Switchboard LGBT+ - GATE PLANNED PARENTHOOD DONATE - DONATE ABORTION SUPPORT NETWORK UK - ASN.COM- DONATE

It's the Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2026 series Elaine chats with performer Mariann Yar about her new. Show Landsfrau. LANDSFRAU TechCube 0 at Summerhall Dates: 6 - 31 August 2026 Time: 14:50 (60 mins) LANDSFRAU Landsfrau: German, noun. 1) compatriot; 2) fellow countrywoman; 3) هموطن Blending music, choreography and poetry, LANDSFRAU هموطن is an auto-fictional journey into an Afghanistan that may or may not exist. In this searching performance, Mariann Yar twists at the challenges and difficult privileges of a life in the diaspora. As the last planes left in the 2021 evacuation of Kabul airport, Afghanistan vanished from Ariana's reach. The return of the Taliban and the sudden withdrawal of the western troops trigger an internal reckoning with war and memory that transports her as far as twenty years earlier, to the televised reporting of 9/11. Burdened by the many narratives of her parents' birth country, Ariana feels an innate responsibility to dismantle the Western images of Afghanistan and build her own story: fragments of family history, imagined pasts, longing and intermittent rage. LANDSFRAU هموطن asks us to consider how we should hold the conflicting forces of identity; the political and the personal. What does it mean to grow up abroad as a child of Afghan parents? To belong to a place you can never return to? As Ariana weaves these complex threads into a rich collage of her life, biographical episodes slide into stories of nostalgia and fantasy; Afghan folk music collides with electronic beats; Attan meets contemporary dance. TICKET LINK OUR WEBSITE - www.persistentandnasty.co.uk IPA GUIDES: HIPA GUIDES Equity Toolkit: Link Stellar Quines: Link Persistent Pal & Nasty Hero - Pals and Hero Membership Email – persistentandnasty@gmail.com Instagram - @persistentandnasty Twitter - @PersistentNasty Coffee Morning Eventbrite - Coffee Morning Tickets LINKTREE - LINKTR.EE Resources Samaritans - Rape Crisis Scotland - Rape Crisis UK ArtsMinds - BAPAM Freelancers Make Theatre Work Stonewall UK - Trevor Project - Mermaids UK Switchboard LGBT+ - GATE PLANNED PARENTHOOD DONATE - DONATE ABORTION SUPPORT NETWORK UK - ASN.COM- DONATE

It's the Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2026 series Elaine chats with pervious guest and friend of the pod - writer Emery Schaffer about her new play BearGirl. BEARGIRL Assembly Roxy, Roxy Boxy Dates: Wednesday 5th - Monday 31st August 2026 Time: 4:20pm (60 mins) BearGirl Bear suits, bereavement, and big scary feelings...oh my. Premiering at this year's Edinburgh Festival Fringe is BearGirl - an empowering drama about animal costumes, grief and feminist rage, written by Emery Schaffer (We Used to be Girl Scouts, MONUMENTAL) and directed by Kate Stamoulis. Inspired by Anton Checkhov's The Bear, Bear Girl is a new play about love and hate, desire and guilt, reclaiming yourself when it's all been stripped away, and attempting to make peace with the beast within. Struggling to cope with the death of her husband, a grief-stricken widow unexpectedly finds comfort whilst wearing an oddly sentimental bear suit that reminds her of her lost love. From that day, Bear Girl is born: an unfeeling, thick-skinned beast of a woman who doesn't care that you're staring at her, because she's not really there. Meshing a complicated love affair with the shock of sudden loss, Schaffer's play explores the complex web of weighty emotions that lay within every human going through the worst moment of their life- and what happens when we lose all control of how we ‘should' behave… and start giving into our primal instincts. TICKET LINK emeryschaffer.com heythankstheatrecollective.com OUR WEBSITE - www.persistentandnasty.co.uk IPA GUIDES: HIPA GUIDES Equity Toolkit: Link Stellar Quines: Link Persistent Pal & Nasty Hero - Pals and Hero Membership Email – persistentandnasty@gmail.com Instagram - @persistentandnasty Twitter - @PersistentNasty Coffee Morning Eventbrite - Coffee Morning Tickets LINKTREE - LINKTR.EE Resources Samaritans - Rape Crisis Scotland - Rape Crisis UK ArtsMinds - BAPAM Freelancers Make Theatre Work Stonewall UK - Trevor Project - Mermaids UK Switchboard LGBT+ - GATE PLANNED PARENTHOOD DONATE - DONATE ABORTION SUPPORT NETWORK UK - ASN.COM- DONATE

The Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2026 series Elaine chats with Katherina Radeva about her new show 40/40. Which is on in the second half of this year's fringe. 40/40 Dancebase, Studio 3 Dates: 18 - 23 August Time: 14:30 (50 mins) 40/40 Kat is a woman (has been for quite a while now). She is a migrant (since 1999) from the Thracian Valley in Bulgaria. In April 2022, surrounded by family and friends, she turned 40. The critically acclaimed, international touring sensation 40/40 returns to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2026, celebrating four years of dance, joy and celebration travelling across Europe. Part of the Made in Scotland Showcase 2026, this inspiring, insightful and moving show honours Katherina Radeva's 40 years as a woman, a migrant and an artist. Kat has always danced, but she has never called herself a dancer, until now. Claiming space on the dance floor, she writes stories of her past, present and future – in speech, electrical tape, and in movement. From childhood gymnastics classes and body shaming, to migrancy and moving to the UK at 16, Kat puts it all on the floor. A creative who refuses to be categorised, through choreography we see all the joys and sorrows of Radeva's 40 years in this life affirming piece of radical movement. 40/40 is a celebration of women's - especially women over 40's - strength, labour, hard work, joys and sadnesses. Kat interweaves open, honest audio voice overs with great tunes - including the Eurythmics Sweet Dreams are Made of These, Nick Cave's Rings of Saturn, and more - and great dance moves to create a truly joyful space. Join the middle-aged woman revolution by dancing, claiming and reclaiming the beautiful, glorious and messy complexities of womanhood. TICKET LINK Twodestinationlanguage.com OUR WEBSITE - www.persistentandnasty.co.uk IPA GUIDES: HIPA GUIDES Equity Toolkit: Link Stellar Quines: Link Persistent Pal & Nasty Hero - Pals and Hero Membership Email – persistentandnasty@gmail.com Instagram - @persistentandnasty Twitter - @PersistentNasty Coffee Morning Eventbrite - Coffee Morning Tickets LINKTREE - LINKTR.EE Resources Samaritans - Rape Crisis Scotland - Rape Crisis UK ArtsMinds - BAPAM Freelancers Make Theatre Work Stonewall UK - Trevor Project - Mermaids UK Switchboard LGBT+ - GATE PLANNED PARENTHOOD DONATE - DONATE ABORTION SUPPORT NETWORK UK - ASN.COM- DONATE

WE'RE BACK!!! It's the Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2026 series Elaine chats with performer Martha Knight about her show The King of All Birds. Joining Martha is her director Joy Nisbett who chats about The King of All Birds as well as Julius Ceasar Variety show which she has written and directed. Both shows run for the whole festival at Summerhall. The King of All Birds Summerhall, Former Gent's Locker Room Dates: 6 - 31 August (not 17, 24) Time: 13:40 (60 mins) The King of All Birds I'm going to do a few songs today. In about 60 minutes, we're going to crown a new king. And then, I'm going to fly. Award-winning Irish theatre-maker, sound designer and composer Martha Knight brings her critically acclaimed theatre show to Summerhall for its UK premiere. The King of All Birds blends sound, history and imagination to trace humanity's ever-evolving relationship with the sky - from a time when it lay untouched, through the earliest daring attempts to reach it, to today's relentless ascent up and up. Inspired by the societal phenomenon of aerial photographs displayed in homes across Ireland since the 1960s, The King of All Birds is a playful, tongue-in-cheek one-woman piece of gig theatre which expands this story, tracing Ireland's history from the great birds of Celtic folklore to our modern world of aeroplanes, satellites, and drones. Tracking this journey with the help of classic Irish folk song, Wild Mountain Thyme, performed via voice, musical instrument, and live electronics; Martha Knight tells a radically gentle story of Ireland, identity, and belonging. TICKET LINK Julius Caesar Variety Show Summerhall, Red Lecture Theatre Dates: 6 - 31 August (not 17, 24) Time: 16:45 (60 mins) Julius Caesar Variety Show A Black actor, a woman actor, and a straight white male actor walk into a Shakespeare audition… Acclaimed emerging writer-director Joy Nesbitt premieres her multi-award-nominated play, JULIUS CAESAR VARIETY SHOW, at Summerhall this August. This bold new play puts on the worst audition you've ever seen, asking: what happens when identity, ambition, and artistic authority collide under pressure? During the 2023 Dublin riot, a Black actor, a woman actor, and a straight white male actor audition for a part in Shakespeare's The Tragedy of Julius Caesar. The three auditionees attempt to impress a revered director set on reinventing the play in "unorthodox" styles - and as the audition unfolds, the actors' identities are called into the audition room and exploited for better performances. What begins as an audition quickly transforms into a battleground. As the director, aided by an ever-present accompanist, pushes the actors to their limits, questions of identity, authorship, and representation come sharply into focus. Performers and audiences alike must confront how their lived experience shapes not only their interpretation of the roles, but also the meaning of the play itself. TICKET LINK OUR WEBSITE - www.persistentandnasty.co.uk IPA GUIDES: HIPA GUIDES Equity Toolkit: Link Stellar Quines: Link Persistent Pal & Nasty Hero - Pals and Hero Membership Email – persistentandnasty@gmail.com Instagram - @persistentandnasty Twitter - @PersistentNasty Coffee Morning Eventbrite - Coffee Morning Tickets LINKTREE - LINKTR.EE Resources Samaritans - Rape Crisis Scotland - Rape Crisis UK ArtsMinds - BAPAM Freelancers Make Theatre Work Stonewall UK - Trevor Project - Mermaids UK Switchboard LGBT+ - GATE PLANNED PARENTHOOD DONATE - DONATE ABORTION SUPPORT NETWORK UK - ASN.COM- DONATE

It's the Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2025 series Elaine chats with Lisa Fa'alafi & Leah Shelton about their new show Dangerous Goods. Dangerous Goods Assembly George Sq Gardens Now -24th August 20:05 TICKET LINK Dangerous Goods Dangerous Goods is an unapologetic and hot-as-hell cabaret of provocative performances, jaw-dropping physical feats and powerful acts of rebellion. Featuring a world-class line-up of circus, aerials, drag, burlesque and power vocals (including artists from the award-winning smash-hit Hot Brown Honey), performance renegades Polytoxic bring you an unforgettable evening of high-octane entertainment that is fully loaded and flammable AF. This is cabaret for the brave new world, ready to blow minds and shift paradigms. 'A tour de force of feminist cabaret (StageWhispers.com.au). 'Raunchy and hilarious... phenomenal!' (WeekendNotes.com). OUR WEBSITE - www.persistentandnasty.co.uk Persistent and Nasty join the CEC community to create a safe space & build a community for those who are marginalised in any way in the arts. Link for our Zoom meeting with Creative Entrepreneurs Club https://creativeentrepreneursclub.co.uk/ MAIL BAG – you can write and ask us industry related questions or general questions or maybe you have a hot take you want to chare, some tea you want to spill or a topic you want discussed on the podcast. To be included in the Mail Bag podcast email persistentandnansty@gmail.com with subject line MAIL BAG or slide into the DM's. IPA GUIDES: HIPA GUIDES Equity Toolkit: Link Stellar Quines: Link Persistent Pal & Nasty Hero - Pals and Hero Membership Email – persistentandnasty@gmail.com Instagram - @persistentandnasty Twitter - @PersistentNasty Coffee Morning Eventbrite - Coffee Morning Tickets LINKTREE - LINKTR.EE Resources Samaritans - Rape Crisis Scotland - Rape Crisis UK ArtsMinds - BAPAM Freelancers Make Theatre Work Stonewall UK - Trevor Project - Mermaids UK Switchboard LGBT+ - GATE PLANNED PARENTHOOD DONATE - DONATE ABORTION SUPPORT NETWORK UK - ASN.COM- DONATE

It's the Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2025 series Elaine chats with Emma Ruse about the 4 shows she is producing at the festival this year. r/Conspiracy by Ella Hällgren 4:20pm, 30 Jul - 24 Aug Ruby @ Appleton Tower Gilded Balloon Jumper Bumps by Amelia Rodger 3:00pm, 30 Jul - 24 Aug -Ruby @ Appleton Tower Gilded Balloon Mary: A Gig Theatre Show by Rona Johnston 9:00pm, 14 Aug - 21 Aug Other Yin @ Patterhoose Gilded Balloon Homo(sapien) by Conor O'Dwyer 1:10pm, 30 Jul - 24 Aug The Snug @ Roxy Assembly Details and ticket links for all shows can be found via link below or on Emma's website. Info and Ticket Link Emma Ruse Emma is a theatre producer and director based in Musselburgh, Scotland. As well as running Emma Ruse Productions, they are co-founder and Chief Executive of Framework Theatre Company, where they provide bespoke support to emerging artists across Scotland. Emma Ruse Productions aims to produce new theatre within Scotland and beyond, with a focus on accessibility, transparency and fair working conditions. There is a focus on stories that are told through a feminist or queer lens, and on work that supports underrepresented voices. Emma directs some of this work themself, and produces the work of others. E.R.P's work should be high-quality, well-made and creatively engaging. OUR WEBSITE - www.persistentandnasty.co.uk Persistent and Nasty join the CEC community to create a safe space & build a community for those who are marginalised in any way in the arts. Link for our Zoom meeting with Creative Entrepreneurs Club https://creativeentrepreneursclub.co.uk/ MAIL BAG – you can write and ask us industry related questions or general questions or maybe you have a hot take you want to chare, some tea you want to spill or a topic you want discussed on the podcast. To be included in the Mail Bag podcast email persistentandnansty@gmail.com with subject line MAIL BAG or slide into the DM's. IPA GUIDES: HIPA GUIDES Equity Toolkit: Link Stellar Quines: Link Persistent Pal & Nasty Hero - Pals and Hero Membership Email – persistentandnasty@gmail.com Instagram - @persistentandnasty Twitter - @PersistentNasty Coffee Morning Eventbrite - Coffee Morning Tickets LINKTREE - LINKTR.EE Resources Samaritans - Rape Crisis Scotland - Rape Crisis UK ArtsMinds - BAPAM Freelancers Make Theatre Work Stonewall UK - Trevor Project - Mermaids UK Switchboard LGBT+ - GATE PLANNED PARENTHOOD DONATE - DONATE ABORTION SUPPORT NETWORK UK - ASN.COM- DONATE

It's the Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2025 series Elaine chats with Truly Siskind-Weiss about her new show The Strongest Girl in The World. The Strongest Girl in The World Gilded Balloon Patter House – Snug Now – 25th AUG Time: 14:20 A Journey of Flight Gather round the campfire for this funny and nostalgic play about love, loss and summer camp. Truly doesn't remember her dad. Not really. Instead, she's collected songs, objects and stories to build a picture of who he was. Join her as she embarks on a journey to discover her father and uncovers her childhood self along the way. You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll yearn for the early 2000s. Come see this story of fear and bravery that examines how we remember those we've lost. TICKET LINK HERE OUR WEBSITE - www.persistentandnasty.co.uk Persistent and Nasty join the CEC community to create a safe space & build a community for those who are marginalised in any way in the arts. Link for our Zoom meeting with Creative Entrepreneurs Club https://creativeentrepreneursclub.co.uk/ MAIL BAG – you can write and ask us industry related questions or general questions or maybe you have a hot take you want to chare, some tea you want to spill or a topic you want discussed on the podcast. To be included in the Mail Bag podcast email persistentandnansty@gmail.com with subject line MAIL BAG or slide into the DM's. IPA GUIDES: HIPA GUIDES Equity Toolkit: Link Stellar Quines: Link Persistent Pal & Nasty Hero - Pals and Hero Membership Email – persistentandnasty@gmail.com Instagram - @persistentandnasty Twitter - @PersistentNasty Coffee Morning Eventbrite - Coffee Morning Tickets LINKTREE - LINKTR.EE Resources Samaritans - Rape Crisis Scotland - Rape Crisis UK ArtsMinds - BAPAM Freelancers Make Theatre Work Stonewall UK - Trevor Project - Mermaids UK Switchboard LGBT+ - GATE PLANNED PARENTHOOD DONATE - DONATE ABORTION SUPPORT NETWORK UK - ASN.COM- DONATE

It's the Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2025 series Elaine chats with Kathryn Gordon, choreographer and performer about her new show A Journey of Flight. Kathryn Gordon: A Journey of Flight Assembly Dance Base Now – 17th AUG Time: 14:30 A Journey of Flight Kathryn Gordon, Shetland Choreographer and Performer Kathryn Gordon will bring the beautiful Dance Base a taste of the islands this Edinburgh Festival Fringe as she introduces her sublime new work A JOURNEY OF FLIGHT. An immersive fifty-minute dance performance created in Shetland and inspired by the migration of birds. The work includes Gordon's signature element of engaging environmental awareness, inviting audiences to reflect on the delicate balance between nature, movement and our emotional ties to place. Featuring mesmerising choreography and live music from Jenny Sturgeon along side stunning projected visuals, A JOURNEY OF FLIGHT creates a thought-provoking journey of arrivals, departures, the nostalgia of place and the notion of flight itself. Set against a backdrop of flowing white sheets, dancers Kathryn Gordon and Jorja Follina move through ever changing spaces, exploring new states of being and new homes. This visually stunning piece is set to be one of the most striking and thought-provoking physical theatre performances of the Fringe. Kathryn Gordon TICKET LINK HERE SHETLAND DATE TICKETS HERE OUR WEBSITE - www.persistentandnasty.co.uk Persistent and Nasty join the CEC community to create a safe space & build a community for those who are marginalised in any way in the arts. Link for our Zoom meeting with Creative Entrepreneurs Club https://creativeentrepreneursclub.co.uk/ MAIL BAG – you can write and ask us industry related questions or general questions or maybe you have a hot take you want to chare, some tea you want to spill or a topic you want discussed on the podcast. To be included in the Mail Bag podcast email persistentandnansty@gmail.com with subject line MAIL BAG or slide into the DM's. IPA GUIDES: HIPA GUIDES Equity Toolkit: Link Stellar Quines: Link Persistent Pal & Nasty Hero - Pals and Hero Membership Email – persistentandnasty@gmail.com Instagram - @persistentandnasty Twitter - @PersistentNasty Coffee Morning Eventbrite - Coffee Morning Tickets LINKTREE - LINKTR.EE Resources Samaritans - Rape Crisis Scotland - Rape Crisis UK ArtsMinds - BAPAM Freelancers Make Theatre Work Stonewall UK - Trevor Project - Mermaids UK Switchboard LGBT+ - GATE PLANNED PARENTHOOD DONATE - DONATE ABORTION SUPPORT NETWORK UK - ASN.COM- DONATE

It's the Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2025 series Elaine chats with theatre maker, writer and performer Emma Frankland about her new show No Apologies Was Kurt Cobain trans? Was Kurt Cobain a trans woman? What if? No Apologies Summerhall Now – 24th AUG (21st and 23rd with band @17:30) Time: 20:45 No Apologies Two-time Fringe First Award-winning and Total Theatre Award nominated writer and performer Emma Frankland brings her raucous and powerful new show No Apologies to Summerhall for its Edinburgh Fringe Festival debut. Directed by critically acclaimed performance artist and Total Theatre Award nominated theatre maker, Harry Clayton-Wright, No Apologies is a theatrical exploration into the possibility of what the world would look like if Kurt Cobain was trans. Delving deep into internet discourse and classical mythology, No Apologies radically mis-remembers Nirvana's iconic 1993 MTV Unplugged concert. Straddling the knife edge of funny and gut-punching, this personal and multi-layered piece, fights back against the pressure to mould ourselves into images that are acceptable to society and the danger that lies when we are not able to live as our full, vibrant selves. While performed throughout most of the Fringe as a sixty minute solo show, two dates at the end of the festival on 21st and 23rd August will integrate a five-piece tribute band for two special live gig performances in Summerhall's prestigious Dissection Room space. TICKET LINK HERE OUR WEBSITE - www.persistentandnasty.co.uk Persistent and Nasty join the CEC community to create a safe space & build a community for those who are marginalised in any way in the arts. Link for our Zoom meeting with Creative Entrepreneurs Club https://creativeentrepreneursclub.co.uk/ MAIL BAG – you can write and ask us industry related questions or general questions or maybe you have a hot take you want to chare, some tea you want to spill or a topic you want discussed on the podcast. To be included in the Mail Bag podcast email persistentandnansty@gmail.com with subject line MAIL BAG or slide into the DM's. IPA GUIDES: HIPA GUIDES Equity Toolkit: Link Stellar Quines: Link Persistent Pal & Nasty Hero - Pals and Hero Membership Email – persistentandnasty@gmail.com Instagram - @persistentandnasty Twitter - @PersistentNasty Coffee Morning Eventbrite - Coffee Morning Tickets LINKTREE - LINKTR.EE Resources Samaritans - Rape Crisis Scotland - Rape Crisis UK ArtsMinds - BAPAM Freelancers Make Theatre Work Stonewall UK - Trevor Project - Mermaids UK Switchboard LGBT+ - GATE PLANNED PARENTHOOD DONATE - DONATE ABORTION SUPPORT NETWORK UK - ASN.COM- DONATE

It's the Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2025 series Elaine chats with theatre maker Lubna Kerr about her new show Lunchbox and her show from last year Chatterbox which is making a return to the festival this year. Lunchbox Pleasance Courtyard (The Green) Now - 24 AUG Time: 16;45 Lunchbox Set in a secondary school in Glasgow, this powerful solo show delves into the dynamic between two teenagers who live on the same street but experience the world very differently. Taking on all the roles including the juxtaposition of Steven, a troubled Scottish boy, and Lubna, a Pakistani girl – Kerr examines the impact of bullying through the eyes of these two young people as directly influenced by their environments and upbringing. On a quest to find her true passion, Kerr seeks refuge from the challenges of adolescence in her lunchtime drama club, whilst Steven seems destined for a life as a perpetrator. This compelling and timely piece confronts the age-old question of nature versus nurture, asking whether our paths are defined by where we come from or whether we can rewrite our own stories. For Lunchbox TICKET LINK HERE For Chatterbox TICKETS HERE OUR WEBSITE - www.persistentandnasty.co.uk Persistent and Nasty join the CEC community to create a safe space & build a community for those who are marginalised in any way in the arts. Link for our Zoom meeting with Creative Entrepreneurs Club https://creativeentrepreneursclub.co.uk/ MAIL BAG – you can write and ask us industry related questions or general questions or maybe you have a hot take you want to chare, some tea you want to spill or a topic you want discussed on the podcast. To be included in the Mail Bag podcast email persistentandnansty@gmail.com with subject line MAIL BAG or slide into the DM's. IPA GUIDES: HIPA GUIDES Equity Toolkit: Link Stellar Quines: Link Persistent Pal & Nasty Hero - Pals and Hero Membership Email – persistentandnasty@gmail.com Instagram - @persistentandnasty Twitter - @PersistentNasty Coffee Morning Eventbrite - Coffee Morning Tickets LINKTREE - LINKTR.EE Resources Samaritans - Rape Crisis Scotland - Rape Crisis UK ArtsMinds - BAPAM Freelancers Make Theatre Work Stonewall UK - Trevor Project - Mermaids UK Switchboard LGBT+ - GATE PLANNED PARENTHOOD DONATE - DONATE ABORTION SUPPORT NETWORK UK - ASN.COM- DONATE

It's the Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2025 series Elaine chats with actor Molly Geddes about staring in Isla Cowan's Alright Sunshine. Alright Sunshine Pleasance Dome (Jack Dome) Now - 24 AUG Time: 16:20 Alright Sunshine Alright Sunshine, is a razor-sharp monologue dissecting women's safety and police prejudice set in the heart of Edinburgh's Old Town. Written by Edinburgh-based playwright, Isla Cowan. Alright Sunshine is a unique female-led and female-focussed punchy, provocative thriller that explores how safe women are in public and private spaces, mob mentality and the ‘real' Edinburgh that tourists don't get to see. A one-hander set in The Meadows on a hot day in May, the play follows PC Nicky McCreadie responding to a mass brawl, where she comes face-to-face with a past she'd rather forget. As the audiences relive the events of the brawl and Nicky's background, her mask of masculine bravado that she needs to survive starts to slip, and we get a glimpse into her own insecurities and secret motivations. Writer Isla Cowan said: “Alright Sunshine is about the rules and rhythms of a city and what happens when the sun comes out. It explores issues of gender and class, mob mentality, women's safety, and the politics of public space. It's a female-led and female-focused political play, with a distinctive Edinburgh spin” Both entertaining and acutely topical, Alright Sunshine draws on popular themes of power and revenge and uses comedic social commentary to highlight the important themes of misogyny and prejudice in the police. TICKET LINK HERE OUR WEBSITE - www.persistentandnasty.co.uk Persistent and Nasty join the CEC community to create a safe space & build a community for those who are marginalised in any way in the arts. Link for our Zoom meeting with Creative Entrepreneurs Club https://creativeentrepreneursclub.co.uk/ MAIL BAG – you can write and ask us industry related questions or general questions or maybe you have a hot take you want to chare, some tea you want to spill or a topic you want discussed on the podcast. To be included in the Mail Bag podcast email persistentandnansty@gmail.com with subject line MAIL BAG or slide into the DM's. IPA GUIDES: HIPA GUIDES Equity Toolkit: Link Stellar Quines: Link Persistent Pal & Nasty Hero - Pals and Hero Membership Email – persistentandnasty@gmail.com Instagram - @persistentandnasty Twitter - @PersistentNasty Coffee Morning Eventbrite - Coffee Morning Tickets LINKTREE - LINKTR.EE Resources Samaritans - Rape Crisis Scotland - Rape Crisis UK ArtsMinds - BAPAM Freelancers Make Theatre Work Stonewall UK - Trevor Project - Mermaids UK Switchboard LGBT+ - GATE PLANNED PARENTHOOD DONATE - DONATE ABORTION SUPPORT NETWORK UK - ASN.COM- DONATE

It's the Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2025 series Elaine chats with the brilliant Jude Williams - actor, singer and theatre maker about her new show Chunky Jewellery Chunky Jewellery Assembly Rooms – Music Hall Now - 24 AUG Time: 13:30 Chunky Jewellery Two friends, one year, two births, a death, 18 bursts of laughter, 34,000 tears (each) and one piece of chunky jewellery. It was a year to forget but instead Natasha and Jude turned it into a show. This is a comedy that bites. An achingly joyous celebration of sisterhood, taking the audience on an emotional rollercoaster with open-hearted, brutal honesty. These uncompromising performers team up with Olivier Award-nominated Ben Duke of Lost Dog to create this unflinchingly honest, human and hilarious show. 'Genuinely moving and life affirming' TICKET LINK HERE OUR WEBSITE - www.persistentandnasty.co.uk Persistent and Nasty join the CEC community to create a safe space & build a community for those who are marginalised in any way in the arts. Link for our Zoom meeting with Creative Entrepreneurs Club https://creativeentrepreneursclub.co.uk/ MAIL BAG – you can write and ask us industry related questions or general questions or maybe you have a hot take you want to chare, some tea you want to spill or a topic you want discussed on the podcast. To be included in the Mail Bag podcast email persistentandnansty@gmail.com with subject line MAIL BAG or slide into the DM's. IPA GUIDES: HIPA GUIDES Equity Toolkit: Link Stellar Quines: Link Persistent Pal & Nasty Hero - Pals and Hero Membership Email – persistentandnasty@gmail.com Instagram - @persistentandnasty Twitter - @PersistentNasty Coffee Morning Eventbrite - Coffee Morning Tickets LINKTREE - LINKTR.EE Resources Samaritans - Rape Crisis Scotland - Rape Crisis UK ArtsMinds - BAPAM Freelancers Make Theatre Work Stonewall UK - Trevor Project - Mermaids UK Switchboard LGBT+ - GATE PLANNED PARENTHOOD DONATE - DONATE ABORTION SUPPORT NETWORK UK - ASN.COM- DONATE

It's the Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2025 series Elaine chats with Broadway icon and Tony Award winner Laura Benanti about her show Laura Benanti: Nobody Cares A love letter to people pleasers everywhere. Laura Benanti: Nobody Cares is a one-woman comedy show from the mind of Tony Award winner Laura Benanti. With her razor-sharp wit, the star of stage and screen blends side-splitting storytelling with original songs co-written with Todd Almond. The New York Times Critic's Pick Nobody Cares is a hilarious, heartfelt and sometimes brutally honest tribute to recovering ingenues, mothers and anybody working on themselves. Laura Benanti: Nobody Cares Underbelly Bristo Sq – Ermintrude Now - 24 AUG Time: 16:55 Laura Benanti: Nobody Cares Laura Benanti: Nobody Cares is a one-woman comedy show from the mind of Tony Award-winner Laura Benanti. Known for her dazzling Broadway performances and razor-sharp wit, Benanti blends side-splitting storytelling with original songs. The New York Times Critics Pick, Laura Benanti: Nobody Cares, is a hilarious, heartfelt, and sometimes brutally honest take on getting older, people-pleasing, motherhood, marriage(s) and the absurdity of it all. TICKET LINK HERE OUR WEBSITE - www.persistentandnasty.co.uk Persistent and Nasty join the CEC community to create a safe space & build a community for those who are marginalised in any way in the arts. Link for our Zoom meeting with Creative Entrepreneurs Club https://creativeentrepreneursclub.co.uk/ MAIL BAG – you can write and ask us industry related questions or general questions or maybe you have a hot take you want to chare, some tea you want to spill or a topic you want discussed on the podcast. To be included in the Mail Bag podcast email persistentandnansty@gmail.com with subject line MAIL BAG or slide into the DM's. IPA GUIDES: HIPA GUIDES Equity Toolkit: Link Stellar Quines: Link Persistent Pal & Nasty Hero - Pals and Hero Membership Email – persistentandnasty@gmail.com Instagram - @persistentandnasty Twitter - @PersistentNasty Coffee Morning Eventbrite - Coffee Morning Tickets LINKTREE - LINKTR.EE Resources Samaritans - Rape Crisis Scotland - Rape Crisis UK ArtsMinds - BAPAM Freelancers Make Theatre Work Stonewall UK - Trevor Project - Mermaids UK Switchboard LGBT+ - GATE PLANNED PARENTHOOD DONATE - DONATE ABORTION SUPPORT NETWORK UK - ASN.COM- DONATE

It's the Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2025 series Elaine chats with writer Hannah Caplan and performer Amaia Naima Aguinaga about Hannah's debut play new show This Is Not About Me. "When you think of me, do you think of me? Or the me you made up in your head? The one who's words you write..." This Is Not About Me Summerhall Now - 25 AUG Time: 15:20 This Is Not About Me A self-destructive writer struggles to construct a play that unfurls the secrets of her broken friendship. But as passion blurs into obsession, she loses grip on the narrative. Should she let truth get in the way of a good story? Mind-bending and heart-wrenching, this romcom meets psychological thriller is a nonlinear love-letter to the creative process. Handcrafted by award-winning, multidisciplinary artists, heartbreak and hyperreality spiral in Hannah Caplan's unmissable debut. TICKET LINK HERE OUR WEBSITE - www.persistentandnasty.co.uk Persistent and Nasty join the CEC community to create a safe space & build a community for those who are marginalised in any way in the arts. Link for our Zoom meeting with Creative Entrepreneurs Club https://creativeentrepreneursclub.co.uk/ MAIL BAG – you can write and ask us industry related questions or general questions or maybe you have a hot take you want to chare, some tea you want to spill or a topic you want discussed on the podcast. To be included in the Mail Bag podcast email persistentandnansty@gmail.com with subject line MAIL BAG or slide into the DM's. IPA GUIDES: HIPA GUIDES Equity Toolkit: Link Stellar Quines: Link Persistent Pal & Nasty Hero - Pals and Hero Membership Email – persistentandnasty@gmail.com Instagram - @persistentandnasty Twitter - @PersistentNasty Coffee Morning Eventbrite - Coffee Morning Tickets LINKTREE - LINKTR.EE Resources Samaritans - Rape Crisis Scotland - Rape Crisis UK ArtsMinds - BAPAM Freelancers Make Theatre Work Stonewall UK - Trevor Project - Mermaids UK Switchboard LGBT+ - GATE PLANNED PARENTHOOD DONATE - DONATE ABORTION SUPPORT NETWORK UK - ASN.COM- DONATE

It's the Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2025 series Elaine chats with creator and performer Kylie Westerbeck about her new show I See You Watching which was devised by Melanie Stewart, Kylie Westerbeck and John Clancy. Directed by Melanie Stewart Text by John Clancy I See You Watching Gilded Balloon - Patter House Now - 24 AUG (NOT 11, 19 AUG) Time: 20:30 I See You Watching I See You Watching, a provocative, darkly playful exploration of control, performance and rebellion. On a bare stage, a woman (Kylie Westerbeck) fights for survival while navigating the relentless demands of a master of ceremonies (David Calvitto) who dictates her worth. Forced to perform while trapped in the male gaze, she must unravel the expectations that bind her and find a way to escape – or revolt. This haunting, rigorous and sometimes brutal theatre show exposes the invisible cages confining women in today's world and questions whether true freedom lies in victory, surrender or something else. TICKET LINK HERE OUR WEBSITE - www.persistentandnasty.co.uk Persistent and Nasty join the CEC community to create a safe space & build a community for those who are marginalised in any way in the arts. Link for our Zoom meeting with Creative Entrepreneurs Club https://creativeentrepreneursclub.co.uk/ MAIL BAG – you can write and ask us industry related questions or general questions or maybe you have a hot take you want to chare, some tea you want to spill or a topic you want discussed on the podcast. To be included in the Mail Bag podcast email persistentandnansty@gmail.com with subject line MAIL BAG or slide into the DM's. IPA GUIDES: HIPA GUIDES Equity Toolkit: Link Stellar Quines: Link Persistent Pal & Nasty Hero - Pals and Hero Membership Email – persistentandnasty@gmail.com Instagram - @persistentandnasty Twitter - @PersistentNasty Coffee Morning Eventbrite - Coffee Morning Tickets LINKTREE - LINKTR.EE Resources Samaritans - Rape Crisis Scotland - Rape Crisis UK ArtsMinds - BAPAM Freelancers Make Theatre Work Stonewall UK - Trevor Project - Mermaids UK Switchboard LGBT+ - GATE PLANNED PARENTHOOD DONATE - DONATE ABORTION SUPPORT NETWORK UK - ASN.COM- DONATE

It's the Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2025 series Elaine chats with creator and performer Diana Salles about her new show Delusional I Killed a Man. (Aerial, Circus, Storytelling, LGBTQ+) Presented by Quartier Libre Productions Drawing on her own experiences of transition and leaving her assigned gender behind, Diana's story is explored through a mesmerising multidisciplinary repertoire of aerial, dance, song and physical theatre. Delusional – I Killed a Man Summerhall Now– 24th August Time: 15:00 Delusional – I Killed a Man A contemporary circus solo show that embarks on a trans woman's journey. The show explores the haunting feeling of having murdered one's former self, a common experience for many trans people when leaving their assigned gender behind. Through a multidisciplinary repertoire of circus disciplines such as aerials, dance, singing, and physical theatre, Diana Salles invites us to reflect on the physical and emotional strength it takes to honour one's deepest truth. ”The combination of aerial silks, beautiful images and mesmerising music makes you want to hug the artist” Amsterdam Fringe Festival TICKET LINK HERE OUR WEBSITE - www.persistentandnasty.co.uk Persistent and Nasty join the CEC community to create a safe space & build a community for those who are marginalised in any way in the arts. Link for our Zoom meeting with Creative Entrepreneurs Club https://creativeentrepreneursclub.co.uk/ MAIL BAG – you can write and ask us industry related questions or general questions or maybe you have a hot take you want to chare, some tea you want to spill or a topic you want discussed on the podcast. To be included in the Mail Bag podcast email persistentandnansty@gmail.com with subject line MAIL BAG or slide into the DM's. IPA GUIDES: HIPA GUIDES Equity Toolkit: Link Stellar Quines: Link Persistent Pal & Nasty Hero - Pals and Hero Membership Email – persistentandnasty@gmail.com Instagram - @persistentandnasty Twitter - @PersistentNasty Coffee Morning Eventbrite - Coffee Morning Tickets LINKTREE - LINKTR.EE Resources Samaritans - Rape Crisis Scotland - Rape Crisis UK ArtsMinds - BAPAM Freelancers Make Theatre Work Stonewall UK - Trevor Project - Mermaids UK Switchboard LGBT+ - GATE PLANNED PARENTHOOD DONATE - DONATE ABORTION SUPPORT NETWORK UK - ASN.COM- DONATE

It's the Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2025 series Elaine chats with creator and performer of I'm Ready to Talk Now Oliver Ayres. I'm Ready To Talk Now Traverse Theatre Now– 24th August Time: Various times I'm Ready to Talk Now Presented by SKINT and Quiet RIOT The artist tells his story of being diagnosed with a rare, severe and chronic immune condition - in his very first year of starting testosterone. A radical act of connection, exploring chronic illness and identity, experienced by one audience member at a time, across eight performances each day. Set inside of a hospital room, audiences experience the work one at a time, alone with the artist, as he tells the story of being diagnosed with a rare, severe and chronic immune condition - in his very first year of starting testosterone. Through music, projection, and physical theatre, this radical act of connection blurs the lines between audience and performer, theatre and installation art, and stands boldly outside of ordinary theatrical conventions. With access as its core guiding principle, each performance can be spontaneously altered: offering relaxed performances, tactile tours, audio description and captioning on demand. Audience members can leave the space at any time. TICKET LINK HERE - Returns only OUR WEBSITE - www.persistentandnasty.co.uk Persistent and Nasty join the CEC community to create a safe space & build a community for those who are marginalised in any way in the arts. Link for our Zoom meeting with Creative Entrepreneurs Club https://creativeentrepreneursclub.co.uk/ MAIL BAG – you can write and ask us industry related questions or general questions or maybe you have a hot take you want to chare, some tea you want to spill or a topic you want discussed on the podcast. To be included in the Mail Bag podcast email persistentandnansty@gmail.com with subject line MAIL BAG or slide into the DM's. IPA GUIDES: HIPA GUIDES Equity Toolkit: Link Stellar Quines: Link Persistent Pal & Nasty Hero - Pals and Hero Membership Email – persistentandnasty@gmail.com Instagram - @persistentandnasty Twitter - @PersistentNasty Coffee Morning Eventbrite - Coffee Morning Tickets LINKTREE - LINKTR.EE Resources Samaritans - Rape Crisis Scotland - Rape Crisis UK ArtsMinds - BAPAM Freelancers Make Theatre Work Stonewall UK - Trevor Project - Mermaids UK Switchboard LGBT+ - GATE PLANNED PARENTHOOD DONATE - DONATE ABORTION SUPPORT NETWORK UK - ASN.COM- DONATE

It's the Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2025 series *TW for discussion of DV/DA* Elaine chats with creator and performer of LA Baby Ambrosine Davies. LA Baby Zoo Playground – Playground 2 Now– 24th August Time: 15:35 LA Baby The unbelievable truth of nearly a decade in LA from award-winning actor and comedian Ambrosine Davies (Funny or Die, The Inbetweeners). the darkly comedic story of Davies' nine years in LA, caught in a cycle of cringeworthy auditions, balancing odd jobs and working as a nanny for an Orthodox family in the middle of the world's most expensive divorce. TICKET LINK HERE OUR WEBSITE - www.persistentandnasty.co.uk Persistent and Nasty join the CEC community to create a safe space & build a community for those who are marginalised in any way in the arts. Link for our Zoom meeting with Creative Entrepreneurs Club https://creativeentrepreneursclub.co.uk/ MAIL BAG – you can write and ask us industry related questions or general questions or maybe you have a hot take you want to chare, some tea you want to spill or a topic you want discussed on the podcast. To be included in the Mail Bag podcast email persistentandnansty@gmail.com with subject line MAIL BAG or slide into the DM's. IPA GUIDES: HIPA GUIDES Equity Toolkit: Link Stellar Quines: Link Persistent Pal & Nasty Hero - Pals and Hero Membership Email – persistentandnasty@gmail.com Instagram - @persistentandnasty Twitter - @PersistentNasty LINKTREE - LINKTR.EE Resources Samaritans - Rape Crisis Scotland - Rape Crisis UK ArtsMinds - BAPAM Freelancers Make Theatre Work Stonewall UK - Trevor Project - Mermaids UK Switchboard LGBT+ - GATE PLANNED PARENTHOOD DONATE - DONATE ABORTION SUPPORT NETWORK UK - ASN.COM- DONATE