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!

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Jerk Off!!

Location:   Dairy Room at Underbelly, Bristo Square (Venue 302)

Dates:  Aug 5th – 17th, 19th – 24th, 26th – 30th

Time: 11:35

Price: £14 Concessions £13

Ticket Link: https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/jerk-off

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Hello! Tell us all about your show!

Jerk Off! is the show I never thought I’d actually make. Because of what it required of me to get to a place of honesty about abuse. It’s the sequel to Burq Off! — my first solo show that toured internationally and got the kind of reception that still kind of blows my mind.

 And this is me returning to the stage post-children, going darker and deeper. A Pakistani Muslim family shatters after the sudden death of the mother. A young woman drowning in guilt flees to Boston, falls for a seductive six-foot-five hip-hop dancer from the Bronx, and dives headfirst into a whole new world — one that promises escape from everything she can’t face. Navigating between prayer rugs and porn, cousin marriages and popping battles. It’s a love story. A grief story. A dance show. It’s darkly funny. And it takes you into the wound and lets you sit there. No clean way out. That last part is the thing I’m most proud of.

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

Oooh. I can’t wait to see as much as possible. I want to see Elf Lyons. She’s a physical comedian who makes solo shows unlike anything. I’m obsessed with clowning. That level of vulnerability in a body is something I find genuinely moving. And Ania Magliano. I want to see solo shows, comedy about motherhood, marriage, aging — work that takes you deeper into yourself, not away from it. And I want to be surprised and see things I don’t normally gravitate towards. 

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 my first time at the fringe!!! 

And I’m coming with my whole family, a three-year-old and a seven-year-old in tow. So the thing I’m most nervous about isn’t the show, it’s how to take care of myself enough to actually be present for it. How do you perform at your best every day for a month while also being a mother? The advice I keep getting — and the advice I’m giving myself — is that this is a marathon not a sprint. Self care isn’t a luxury at Edinburgh, it’s the job. Stay hydrated. Eat protein. Move your body. Get outside, get fresh air, get away from the density of it all. Find the quiet moments to regenerate. Because if you burn out in week two, the show suffers, your kids suffer, everything suffers. I’m going in with that as my north star.

If this is your first time – what are you looking forward to?

What I’m most excited about is the creative explosion. An entire month where that level of talent, risk taking, vulnerability and love is all happening in one place. Because it takes so much love to make theatre. You have to love it enough to get on stage, to take risks, to tell the truth. I feel like Edinburgh in August is just going to be this giant bubble of creative love and I cannot wait to be in the middle of it. To be inspired by other people’s work, to have people be inspired by mine, to make connections and friendships with people who are committed to the same thing. I’ve never done anything like this before so I’m beyond excited. And honestly, I’m just as excited for my kids. I’ve heard the Fringe has so many shows for children and I want my three-year-old and seven-year-old fully immersed in the arts every single day. Different shows, different worlds, different ways of seeing. I want it to expand their imaginations. That feels like a gift I get to give them. 

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

My show is at 11:35am so mornings will be sacred. I will meditate, journal, get quiet. I will work out, get in my body, nourish myself properly. Then I will prepare for the show. After that I get to be mama, which honestly will be its own kind of reset. I plan to see as many shows as I can but I am being realistic with myself. I am performing every day and I have two small kids so maybe one show a day is the win. I will not pressure myself to do it all. Whatever I can take in, I will take in fully

Best thing about performing at the fringe?

To be in centre of live theatre 

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

My kids ! 

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

Eat at home when you can. Cook nourishing foods. 

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

Instagram @nadiapmanzoor 

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