Brighton Fringe 2026 passed in a total blur! Every Wednesday evening, I took the stage with Madame Isolde’s Crazy Zodiac Cabaret followed by a Saturday afternoon appearance in the A Word With The Bird Highlights show. In between gigs, I tackled two script deadlines—successfully hitting one—and even zipped off to teach a yoga-ilates flow at Smallworld Festival.

Because of the packed schedule, I couldn’t catch as many fellow performers as usual. However, the shows I did manage to see were absolutely fabulous:

My festival viewing kicked off with some brilliant stand-up comedy at Presuming Ed’s. The acts delivered fantastic sets, and I felt terrible for sneaking out just before the finale. However, my friend and I had tickets we couldn’t miss: the wonderful Alice Ella’s Chronically Ill Hormonal Slag.

This performance became an absolute highlight of my Fringe. As a motivated creative, I related deeply to her story of navigating life and art with a chronic health condition. The show made me laugh, cry, and marvel at Alice’s talent. She is not only hilarious with a beautiful singing voice, but she also manages to stay super sexy while openly discussing sh*tting herself—a truly impressive feat!

For an in-depth look at why this show is a must-see, check out this brilliant review by playwright Saskia Wesnigk – here.

Next up was MAN!FEST: A Boy Band Fantasy. This musical offers awesome fun, and the fact that the team created both the script and the music from scratch is incredibly impressive. The cast performed with such high energy and precision that I occasionally forgot I was watching drag kings! Each character felt instantly recognisable; I’ve definitely met variations of them throughout my life.

I cannot wait to see what this team creates next. The musical was created by On The Nose Productions, and you can find their Crowdfunder here.

For my own slot in Madame Isoldes Zodiac Cabaret, I took the 10-minute time limit very literally and challenged myself to a Marathon Dance Around The World 🌍 🌎 – I took parts of routines I choreographed to teach at one-off parties and Hen-dos (Bachelorettes for those of you in the USA). I put the best bits together, one after the other and took the audience from ABBA, to Belly-dancing, to K-Pop, to Line Dancing and back to England for a bit of Spice Girls pop-tastic fun.

It was brilliant fun, and it gave me a fascinating insight into my own stamina across the month. My energy levels peaked during the first and final weeks, though I hope every single audience group felt thoroughly entertained!

I felt incredibly honoured to join the special Highlights lineup for A Word With The Bird. While I have written comedy for quite a while now, live performance is a completely different beast! I love the stage, and nothing beats the rush of hitting the comedic timing perfectly and hearing the entire room laugh with you.

Right now, I am perfecting my Agony Aunt act. I transform into Dr Eva-Marie (proud holder of 14 PhDs) to dispense the world’s best advice – right up until she gets shot through the head. But don’t worry, she continues to guide the audience in another form!

Every single performance teaches me something new to refine the act for next time. I also have a solo stand-up routine that I’ve been developing behind the scenes. I’m really looking forward to building up the confidence to workshop it soon!

All in all, it was a wonderful Brighton Fringe Festival (as usual) and I’m already looking forward to next year.