Scottish comedian Robin Grainger heads back to the Edinburgh Fringe with a new show this summer. Robin Grainger: Lemonade is “another hysterical show about happiness.”
Where: The Crate at Assembly George Square
When: 5-31 Aug
Ticket link: https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/robin-grainger-lemonade
What can you tell us about your show? What is it about and where did the idea come from?
In the past, my shows have had “heavier” themes. One show was about grief, another was about my body image issues and the impact that can have on confidence. I tend to funnel my own trauma until it is as relatable and as funny as possible. This year, I thought I’d write a show about happiness and see what I learned about myself. Life has given me lemons so I’ve turned them into lemonade!
How would you sell it to audiences in one paragraph?
Do you feel happy? What should make us happy? Does social media make us feel better? Do algorithms try and sell us the idea of what a happy life should look like? I wonder about these things all the time and if you do, then this show is for you. I also do a pretty good impression of a guinea pig in it, which is worth the ticket price alone.
Do you enjoy participating in the Fringe? And do you have any moments you particularly remember?
I utterly love the fringe. It’s my favourite time of year because it’s a month set aside to be as creative and as funny as possible and watch all your friends do the same. I famously did opening night of my fringe show to one person, which, overnight became global news and led to me being featured in over 100 news and media outlets worldwide, including The One Show and an interview with global superstar Kevin Hart, who said really nice things, so that fringe will always stand out, as it also led to the rest of the run selling out, a tour selling out and the subsequent fringe run as well. It helped me build an audience and it all stemmed from being honest and optimistic and instead of cancelling that show, doing it any way and seeing what would happen.
I’ve also had the great fortune to share lineups and venues with my comedy heroes during the festival, from the creator of QI to Dave Benson Phillips from ‘Get Your Own Back’. Edinburgh in August is a magical place.
What are you looking forward to the most in Edinburgh? What’s next for the show?
I always look forward to delivering the best, funniest show possible; people laughing their way out of my venue and recommending it to their friends is the highest compliment. I already have a few tour dates in the diary for after the fringe, so I’m hoping a good fringe run might lead to a few more 🙂