Edinburgh Fringe preview: Louise Beck on Laughing Out Lonely (LOL)

The #DANISH showcase at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe celebrates its fifth live year from 18-31 Aug 2026. Curated by WILDTOPIA and the Embassy of Denmark, the 2026 lineup features four bold boundary-pushing productions spanning contemporary opera, physical theatre, and dance

“Laughing Out Lonely (LOL) is a portrait of contemporary loneliness. With a universal relevance, and a tour de tour performance from acclaimed countertenor Morten Grove Frandsen, this thrilling new opera is a thought-provoking performance that pushes the boundaries of what opera can be. Created using English lyrics that are based on posts from young people on social media, and staged by Louise Beck as a theatrical echo chamber where the audience is part of the setting, Laughing Out Lonely is a compelling work that is relevant for audiences of all ages.”

Where: Dissection Room at Summerhall

When: 18-30 Aug

Ticket link: https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/laughing-out-lonely

What can you tell us about your show? What is it about and where did the idea come from?

The show LOL – Laughing Out Lonely takes the audience into the darkest corners of social media and tells the story of a lonely man who lives out his life online and makes himself available to the existences that hide here.  

LOL is especially written for the brilliant countertenor Morten Grove Frandsen, who amazes with the embodiment of a myriad of outcast characters in a thoroughly dramatic universe. With his impressive voice, Morten Grove Frandsen expresses the sadness of the teenager who cuts herself to ignore the pain of life, just like he conveys the tragic tale of the abused boy who hides behind the profile ‘The slaughtered lamb’. The singer also transforms into ‘The sexy monkey’ who will do anything for a banana, just like he portrays the over-geared ‘Teddy bear’ who wants to destroy all other pets on earth.

LOL is like a musical echo chamber, where the algorithms run wild, and the protagonist gets lost. All the lyrics are taken from posts on social media. The story is both moving and scary. It depicts the digital society we live in, where the loneliness of especially young people is despairing. The idea of LOL started during COVID, when we were all isolated and detached from each other. 

How would you sell it to audiences in one paragraph? 

Laughing Out Lonely is a portrait of contemporary loneliness. With universal relevance and a tour de force performance from acclaimed countertenor Morten Grove Frandsen, this new opera is pushing the boundaries of what opera can be.

Do you enjoy participating in the Fringe? And do you have any moments you particularly remember? 

I am very much looking forward to the Fringe this year. I have a lot of good memories from when I was younger and studied in London, and we all went to Edinburgh for the Fringe. I particularly remember the buzz on the street with performances all over the place. 

What are you looking forward to the most in Edinburgh? 

This year is the first time we’re presenting a show at Fringe, and it is exciting. I am very much looking forward to the response from the Fringe audience. We have performed LOL in very different countries and have had very different but always extremely good responses. 

What’s next for the show? 

LOL is part of a trilogy about loneliness. The next solo piece is called DIVA Edition and will open in Denmark in August 2027. It is written especially for a very old opera singer feeling left behind by time.