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!

Parker Callahan: Soda Pop

Location:   Studio Five – Assembly George Square Studios (Venue 17)

Dates:  Jul 30th -10th, 12th-24th

Time: 22:05

Price: £12.50 Concessions £11.50

Ticket Link: https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/parker-callahan-soda-pop

Hello! Tell us about yourself?

I’m a comedian and musician based in Chicago. I’m originally from Massachusetts, and yes, all my relatives sound exactly like Mark Wahlberg. I’m a classically trained pianist, but I’d rather have each of my fingers savagely gnaw off by a dog before I played another Bach prelude. My comedy has been described by Paul F. Tompkins as having “a cheerfully demented energy that instantly draws you in and keeps you there,” which is maybe the nicest way anyone’s ever said “this guy’s a little unhinged.” Online, I’m known as @parkthelark, where I make weird little videos that have collectively racked up millions of views and likes. As a live performer, I was named a Character New Face at the 2023 Just for Laughs Festival, have toured globally with The Second City, and in January 2025, I premiered my solo show Soda Pop which I’m thrilled to bring to the Edinburgh Fringe!

Tell us all about your show!

Soda Pop is an alt-comedy stand-up/pop concert/TED Talk/multimedia hybrid performed by a twink in a Speedo. I’m said twink. (If you don’t know what a twink is: it’s a young, hairless gay man, usually blond, and often wearing a puka shell necklace. As a 34 year old brunette, no one would call me a twink except for me.)

I created this show as an invitation to stop overthinking and start following your dumbest, most delightful impulses. No trauma is explored, dissected, or prodded. It’s pure fun. That’s not to say it lacks substance. Throughout the show, I touch on everything from the vulgar to the divine, the mundane to the profound: the full, ridiculous spectrum of the human experience.

But like…it’s dumb.

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

The show is called Soda Pop because, like the drink, it’s fast-paced, highly caffeinated, and absolutely devoid of nutritional value. It’s fizzy, fun, and meant to be enjoyed guilt-free. It’s a little treat you give yourself when you need a break from being serious. It’s also packed with pop music and pop culture references, so like…the title works on multiple levels. You get it? Soda POP?

Basically it’s the party drink of comedy shows: bubbly, unserious, and a little too hyper.

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

I’m pumped to see One Funny Hour by Alan Resnick, Stamptown, The Last Mad Man by Steven Phillips-Horst, and truly anything with Grace Lusk in it. If she’s in it, it’s what I want to see.

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

Since I’ve never done the Fringe before, I imagine my routine will go something like this:

I wake up in the bed of a charming Scotsman I met the night before. I leave my wallet at his place by accident, go back to retrieve it, and (now seeing him in the light of day) realize he’s not only charming…he’s actually like pretty cute (bites lip). He invites me to brunch with his friends. I accept. At brunch, I realize all his friends are men I (ahem) “met” earlier that week. They all start fighting over me in adorable Scottish accents because, naturally, they’re in love with me. I politely excuse myself to go get ready for my show. I perform Soda Pop in a Speedo for a sold-out crowd (10 people), absolutely crush, and then head out for the night where I meet a nice Scottish guy and the cycle begins again. (At this point I’m intentionally leaving my wallet behind for the plot)

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

Literally you tell me. If you see me on the street, grab me by the shoulders, and tell me one thing to do with the intensity of someone who has time travelled with an important message from the future. I swear I won’t scream.

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

Eating? I do this show in a speedo. I’ll be living off chapstick and the 8 or so spiders you supposedly consume in your sleep every year.

Best thing about performing at the fringe?

This is the Olympics of performing (Broadway and the West End can suck it), and in my ignorance as a Fringe virgin, I’m excited to compete and meet all the other athletes in the Olympic Village (The University of Edinburgh dorms.)

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

Let’s be real; the Fringe is just as much about theater as it is about FASHION!!! You can walk into any show late as long as you’re slaying in party pumps that highlight your dynamite calves.

To be clear; showing up on time is bad. Showing up late and stealing focus? That’s chic. Let’s go girls.

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

Diapers, diapers, and oh ya: diapers.

What’s the secret to successful flyering?

Two words: nip slip.

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

You can follow me on instagram, Tik Tok, and youtube at @parkthelark

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

I don’t beg.

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