It is festival season and that means that in the next month there is so many great comedy festivals to look forward to! This month we are looking at some of the great shows that you can see at the Edinburgh Fringe. So take note because we are going to give you all the information you need for just a handful of some of the great shows happening this year!

Mum and I Don’t Talk Anymore by Milanka Brooks

Location:  Assembly George Square – The Crate (Venue 8)

Dates: Jul 31st Aug 1st-13th, 15th-25th

Time: 14:50

Price: £11.00 Concessions £10.00

Ticket Link: https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/mum-and-i-don-t-talk-anymore-by-milanka-brooks

Hello! Tell us about yourself? 

Hello! My name is Milanka Brooks and I’m an actress and writer. I look and sound distinctly English, but my genetic makeup is Serbian/Bosnian and possibly German and/or Irish with very little English in there; however, I was born and grew up in England. I started life in the North with a Mancunian accent, and then moved South where I quickly learned the best pronunciation of ‘bath’ and ‘raspberry’.

I spent my twenties working in Europe, bouncing around countries and boyfriends, and between all the adventures I did some really fun tv jobs as an actress, namely Johnny Vegas’ fiancée, Ionela, in Benidorm on ITV for two seasons, Princess Svetlana in The Windsors on Channel 4, and the no-nonsense blue alien Elena Tulaska, in Black Mirror’s USS Callister. I moved out to Los Angeles in 2018 and last year I started writing my first solo show, Mum and I Don’t Talk Anymore, which I’m thrilled to be bringing to this year’s Fringe!

Tell us all about your show!

For years I’d been wanting to write about my flamboyant and eccentric Serbian Mother, Lela, and I decided last year was the time to do it. I’d been developing it for television for a while but then it struck me that audiences should meet Mum as close-up as possible as her verve and flair simply had to be shared. There were too many stories I wanted to tell, too many ‘isms’ that I’ve heard over the years all told in the thickest of Eastern European accents: “daaaarling, let me tell you ze truss”, and always with a glass of Sljivovica, the national drink in the Balkans…

How did you come up with the name of your show that you’re taking to the fringe

The audience goes on a journey with Mum and I, from childhood memories to Mum’s love of fitness and an exercise video I made for her one day, to me bouncing around the globe with boyfriends and telling Mum my stories. There was a point however where we stopped sharing our misadventures with each other, and that becomes part of the audience’s experience as they journey through the decades with us.

What other acts are you looking forward to seeing at the fringe?

To be honest when I start looking at the endless list of exciting shows coming to the fringe, I start to panic a little, how do I possibly choose?? But given that I’m up in Edinburgh for the whole run I feel confident I’ll be able to make quite a few of them. The big question for me remains though, on my one day off… whose show will I see that’s on at the same time as mine? I’ve only got one shot at that one. No pressure…

Have you done the fringe before? What are the key pieces of advice you have been given or would give to new groups or people performing at the fringe. 

I’ve performed at the fringe a couple of times before, once with school in my final year, and again in 2008 with a comedy and all-female cast. Both times I was only up at the fringe for a week and had other cast members to lean on should I have needed. Taking a show up on your own, for those fellow solo showers out there, is a whole different mindset I believe. It’s as much of a physical preparation as it is a mental one. I train hard in both so that when I’m up there I’ll be more able to handle life’s curveballs, as they do find us! Slow and steady wins the race.

Talk us through your daily routine for a day at the Fringe

Coffee, two boiled eggs on toast, walk to workout/workout by walking, listen to a good podcast as I ‘walking workout’ to the theatre, perform my show and talk to the generous audiences who come afterwards, then see as many shows as I can before I crash and walking workout home. One alcoholic drink per day with an old mate and a perhaps new mate too… (please don’t print that last part… I may treat myself to two drinks every Wednesday)

What is the best way to enjoy yourself at the fringe?

Pace yourself, immerse yourself in the festival but if you’re there for a while take time out to see some sights or nature to get a little more perspective. Plan your route so you’re ideally heading to shows in one area then moving on to the next (that’s probably legitimately not possible so don’t take note of most things I say…)

Ok, where is your favourite place to eat at the Fringe? 

If it’s sunny somewhere that has outdoor seating, if it’s raining a place that serves Sunday roasts every day of the week. Extra gravy, thanks.

Best thing about performing at the fringe?

The swell of people and talent and excitement and anticipation. The shared joy of creating and experiencing art through thousands of different lenses.

Top tips for travelling around the Fringe and getting to shows on time?

Comfy shoes, an umbrella, sunglasses, a curious mind and I genuinely have no idea how you get to shows on time. Give it your best shot, don’t be overzealous in booking

What would be your top three items every performer must take to the fringe?

Wow this feels like Desert Island Discs… Lip balm, glasses if you need them, a firm handshake.

What’s the secret to successful flyering? 

Really look at the person you’re approaching. Direct eye contact is key to connecting with people.

If people want to find out more about you where can they follow you on social media?

My Instagram is @milankabrooks and my X is the same. I am going to give TikTok a go (let’s see what happens, I may be sat inside a pub on a Wednesday having a Sunday roast…) is @milanka.brooks

And finally in three words – Why should people come and see the show? 

My

Mum

Lela