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!

A Letter to Lyndon B Johnson or God: Whoever Reads This First

Location:  theSpace @ Niddry St – Upper Theatre (Round) (Venue 9)

Dates: Aug 2nd-10th, 12th-24th

Time: Times Vary

Price: £11.00 Concessions £9.00

Ticket Link: https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/letter-to-lyndon-b-johnson-or-god-whoever-reads-this-first

Hello! Tell us about yourself? 

We are Xhloe and Natasha! We are an NYC based duo trying to change the theatre world one absurd clown piece at a time. We have been creating and producing theatre for nearly eight years together and have been besties for nearly eleven! 

Tell us all about your show! 

Our show, “A Letter to Lyndon B. Johnson or God: Whoever Reads This First”, is an absurd clown storytelling piece that dives into the idolization and nostalgia of American boyhood. It follows two boyscouts who love spit shakes, rope swings, and most of all playing soldiers. Whether they’re whispering under a bunk bed or screaming to the sky, Ace and Grasshopper really just want to know that someone hears them, or I guess maybe, reads this. 

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

If our plays were a puzzle (which oftentimes they are) we love to think the titles are a very important piece (maybe the corner piece or something). We have a lot of fun using the title as a device within itself to give the audience information that we may or may not touch on in the actual performance.

This year we felt really influenced by the storytelling element our show has and how you wouldn’t necessarily consider this show to be a letter if you didn’t know the title. Or how, without the title you wouldn’t necessarily compare a former president to God. Or how if you had only the title to go on you wouldn’t have any reason to believe this is about boyscouts at all. If our title makes you ask questions, that just means it’s working. 

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

We actually have made really close friends these past few fringes, so there’s loads on our list we are keen to get to! Our friend Niall Moorjani had a piece last year called, “A Fairie Tale” that, among being an incredible watch, really inspired us a ton to venture into our own storytelling piece. They’re coming back this year with a new show that we are really excited to get to. We know everything that they touch turns to gold. We also made a couple of friends who are street performers that we undyingly go to support and love to see. 

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. 

This is our third fringe ever! Looking back at us, year one in 2022, we would have loved to tell them to bring earplugs for the 16 person hostel. But outside of those obvious things, we didn’t truly understand the power of word-of-mouth till we got to the fringe.

Two people in the audience can turn to twenty if you intentionally tell them to spread the word. People don’t always love risking seeing a show they found online but people love coming to shows their friends recommend to them. So post show speech is essential to us to connect with the audience and let them know any post on socials or word to a friend helps us tremendously. People do listen and really want to help! 

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

Most days we wake up sore! But being that we run most of the behind the scenes work for our shows, our morning and afternoons are usually kept busy with sending and answering emails, posting to socials, trying to schedule meetings with everyone and anyone, and of course Tesco meal deals (to which there is sadly no US equivalent). Unfortunately, we haven’t had much of a chance to see the touristy parts of Edinburgh but maybe this will be the year!

It takes us about an hour to get in costume and make up in the flat and then we march to the show and perform. Sometimes we stay after, sweaty and disheveled, to chat with people for hours. We cannot stress enough how much joy we get connecting with our audience. After all is said and done we have a quick debrief on the show and try to barter for who gets first shower. If we aren’t completely knackered we will see a show, though oftentimes the exhaustion gets to us!

We are making a promise to ourselves this year to see more shows because fringe has so much to offer and some of our favorite memories are seeing other peoples work (Though the Tesco meal deal comes very close as well).

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

The best way to enjoy yourself is to let go of expectations the best you can. Whatever you think fringe is, whatever you think fringe is going to get you or show you, let it go. Let the fringe happen to you, don’t try to force it into something.

When we first came to fringe in 2022 we had done little to no research and we had no idea what we were walking into and it is one of the greatest gifts for experiencing fringe. Everything felt like a win. Take the little wins, take the big wins, but most importantly take flyers when people hand them to you. 

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

It has become a tradition for us to go to Piggs, the tapas restaurant, every year at least once in celebration. A meal that we can say, with zero trace of exaggeration, changed our life. 

Best thing about performing at the fringe? 

Besides just being able to perform everyday which in itself is a dream come true, we love to talk with people directly after the show. There was a point in our life where we were begging friends and family to come see our shows, promising it would be good, praying someone would fill a seat. So to now have people who we aren’t dragging into the show, telling us our theatre meant something to them is genuinely one of the greatest feelings in the world. We make theatre to tell stories that we think matter so to know that people can feel that and understand it is beyond. 

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

Best way to get to a show on time is to not rely on google maps! Apparently, it doesn’t always register a road to be a bridge, of which there are a lot of in Edinburgh. Needless to say, we did not jump but we were, however, late to the show. 

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

Top three would have to be:

1. Extra Vitamin C 

2. Cowboy boots that don’t give you blisters 

3. A brilliant and charming lighting designer willing to sleep on the couch 

what’s the secret to successful flyering? 

We found the only way to flyer successfully is to do it yourself! People respond much better to you interrupting their meal, conversation, and general wellbeing when you’re advocating for your own show that you put the work into. We always flyer in costumes to catch peoples eye as well! 

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

If you want to know more and see what all the Xhloe and Natasha fuss is about please give us a follow on insta and X @xhloeandnatasha and check out our website xhloeandnatasha.com where you can sign up for our emailing list and find more info and merch! 

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

Clowns. Boyscouts. Harmonicas.