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!

Narin Oz: Inner Child(ish)

Location:   Just The Attic – Just The Tonic at The Mash House (Venue 288)

Dates:  Jul 31st -11th, 13th-24th

Time: 16:00

Price: £9

Ticket Link:https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/narin-oz-inner-child-ish

Tell us all about your show!

Since 2014 I have been creating and performing comedy shows that are known for being visually cartoonish and emotionally raw. I performed Addicted To Love on BBC2’s Edinburgh Highlights and was interviewed by Mark Watson. Three live performances later, I have gathered a loyal following of audience who are a mix of second-generation immigrants, queer and neurodivergent. In a nutshell anyone who’s been made to feel like an “misfit”, “too much” or “not enough.” I have a writing and performer credit for Channel 4’s Girls Go Trolling and have appeared in BBC1 Man Like Mobeen. However nothing beats performing live on stage. People like me don’t often see themselves reflected on stage which is why I keep returning to live performance. his show comes from my lived experience. In my 20s, I masked heavily, unaware I was autistic. I burned out. Now in my 40s, I’m unmasking onstage  still crying over spilt milk, but this time with a backing track and an audience.

I started writing Narin Oz: Inner Child(ish) show in early 2024 where I kept a diary tracking how my brain works. A raw stream-of-consciousness exploration that led me to my own imagination. An inner world where the different parts of my brain became characters in their own right. A pivotal inspiration was the film Cast Away. I watched it ten times and became fascinated by how the character Chuck achieves enlightenment through extreme isolation. It got me thinking: what if I re-enacted Cast Away, not on a desert island, but in a bathroom — the most mundane of spaces — to force myself into a kind of absurd, life-or-death scenario in which I could learn to truly love myself? I started performing and refining the show around London later on that year around different fringes. These include Wandsworth Fringe, The Glitch, and Ten To One Bar. It was featured in Hürriyet (Turkish press), and I’ve continued refining it through rewrites and audience feedback. I have performed 6 previews already and have booked 24 more previews in July. This includes The Watford and Manchester Festival. I’ve been steadily gathering a loyal audience. These previews helped me refine the work and deepen the show’s emotional and comedic beats.

Clowning has been central to this process. I’ve trained with renowned clown and bouffon practitioners including Phil Burgers, Mick Barnfather, John Wright and Eric Davis (Red Bastard). Their influence,  especially in how clowning can help express the absurd, the vulnerable and the grotesque, has helped me shape a performance that is both deeply personal and wildly theatrical.

Autism and clown go hand in hand. Both are rooted in hyper-awareness of self and environment. For many autistic people, including myself, the world often feels too loud, too fast and too alien. Clowning becomes a way to take control of that narrative. It allows me to exaggerate, explore and reclaim the parts of myself I once tried to hide. The clown doesn’t mask  they reveal. This show is about unmasking, literally and metaphorically and finding joy in that process.

Relaxed Performances For The Whole Run

This show accessible by design and every performance is relaxed. There are no sudden surprises, audiences can come and go, stim, move around and talk to me after the show. I will be sitting around daily post-performance to create a sense of community and to offer a safe space for conversation. I want this show to feel like a refuge in the middle of a hectic festival. The content is raw, absurd, healing and joyful but it’s also built for people like me; who once hid themselves through masking and never saw themselves reflected on stage. Basically I’m just another idiot trying to get by and do something with my life that has meaning. 

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

Cheekykita – Bats***
Karen Dunbar

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.

Rest and eat well. If you’re feeling antisocial wear a set of ear plugs or sit in  nature- Arthurs seat.

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

wake up.  Panic about the show. Eat breakfast. Go fringe central ask lots of questions. Flyer for my show. Do my show. Go Park or watch a show. Have an early night sleep. Have a nightmare about the show. When it finishes go drum and bass night if there is one. 

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

Chip shop and the cheap indian restaurant which I can’t remember the name of. 

Best thing about performing at the fringe?

Making people laugh in my show

connecting with like minded people 

Scottish food

What is the hardest part about performing at the Fringe?

Doing your own flyering on top of performing 

Walking around on the hilly parts. 

Do you bring anything special from home to make it feel more special whilst you are away?

My cosy hoodie and my unfriendly London face. 

What are your best hacks to save money whilst at the Fringe?

-shop in LIDL

-Sleeping in a tent

-Having an early night 

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

1)  favourite book,  music and headphones for when you want abit of you time. 

2) Lots of underwear and socks 

3) Ear plugs and sunglasses for antisocial days. 

what’s the secret to successful flyering?

Connecting with people as a human being seeing what they are looking for and seeing if your show meets their requirements.

Being yourself and enthusiastic about your own show helps too! 

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

Instagram: @narinofoz

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

 heart felt, visceral, bonkers

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