My Festival: Frisky: ‘Should Like A Virgin be performed as a thrash metal song?'

Being (dare I say) middle-aged, I’ve not only seen, but also performed around a million shows, at the Fringe and all over the world. I’ve been a non-stop show pony since I first tottered up Leith Walk in full drag in 2008. So why see my Fringe show? Because I know what makes a good one. You’re in experienced hands, friends.

What will we learn from your show that we didn’t know before?

Frisky’s Reshuffle is a great big musical play date – we have some songs, and you tell us how to play and sing them. Or we have some styles, and you tell us what song we should do. And in the end we learn that joy doesn’t come from perfection, but from taking risks, leaping off the edge, and generally being a joyful idiot. And if you want to do some leaping yourself, there’s the chance to do that with me in the show – so it’s very possible that you’ll learn things about yourself that you didn’t know before. And if not, we’ll learn whether or not Like A Virgin should ever be performed as a thrash metal song.

Who or what was the biggest inspiration for your show?

My brother and I would pass the time around the piano as kids, playing musical theatre songs in ridiculous ways – the oom-cha I Dreamed A Dream was a particular favourite. He’s now a West End Musical Director (about to set off on tour with Matilda – be sure to catch it in Edinburgh March 2026), and I am still doing basically the same thing. Some may recall the duo Frisky & Mannish, and yes, it’s me off of that. That was very much in a similar vein, and we had an improvised section in our show last time we visited the Fringe. I just love when the audience gets to join in the game, and play with us, so that’s very much what this show is.

What’s the best review you’ve ever had, and the worst?

Frisky & Mannish were extremely blessed with great reviews (I think we were in the top 5 rated shows almost every year we performed at the Fringe, but no one likes a bragger), but my most memorable good review was probably the first I ever saw in print, when I was performing at the Fringe as a student in 2004. It was a fabulously shonky production of Guys & Dolls, and it read, “Laura Corcoran, as Miss Adelaide, becomes the star.” I mean, who doesn’t want to hear that they’re a star?! Thank you, ThreeWeeks. And my worst review was from Melbourne Comedy Festival, I don’t remember the exact wording, but it was something about Mannish being funnier than Frisky (not untrue, tbf) and, at a particularly vulnerable moment, my mum decided to read it to me over the phone. You can’t beat a northern mum for keeping you humble.

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Who or what are you most excited about seeing this year?

I’m mostly looking forward to seeing my mates! Specifically Matthew Floyd Jones as Musical Director for Jess Robinson: Your Song (6.05pm, Assembly Piccolo, until 24 August); Kirsty Mann’s work-in-progress follow-up to her 2024 smash Skeletons, called Corpse (11.40am, Summerhall, until 10 August); as well as all the fabulous cabaret and circus that’s on, especially La Clique (6.30pm, The Famous Spiegeltent, until 24 August).

Who do you most like spending time with in Edinburgh?

Not to be too soppy, but I love spending time with my daughter at the festival. I never dived into kids theatre before having one of my own, and it’s such a joy to discover it with her now. Some of the most beautiful, most creative, and stupidest shows I’ve seen are kids shows. There’s also so much great stuff for kids in Edinburgh in general, the museums are fantastically accessible, and there are so many activities around. You can’t get swallowed whole by the festival when you have your family with you, which I think is an excellent thing. You get to enjoy the fringe and the city through their eyes too. It’s rather magical, actually.

Tell us something about you that would surprise people.

I now live in the middle of absolutely nowhere in France, doing the whole farmhouse renovation thing. So, when I’m not belting my wotsits off on stage in full glam, I’m in overalls sanding beams and painting windows. It’s nowhere near as romantic as it sounds either, to be honest. I have many muscular complaints.

What are the best and worst things that have happened to you at a festival?

The best thing that happened to me at the Fringe, aside from launching my career and getting an amazing agent and a tour and all that fabulous stuff, was crossing the Meadows in costume, only to see my ex-boyfriend from when I was 16 walking the other way. We got about 10m away from each other, then both turned around, in disbelief. It was lovely to see him, and I looked stunning because of the six inches of make-up. Very unexpected, very satisfying. The worst thing was getting swine flu in 2009, and having to cancel shows right as we were having our moment. I got through the last couple with the help of Benylin and Sudafed, but I accidentally slightly overdosed the latter, which, it turns out, is basically speed. So if you saw the last shows of Frisky & Mannish in 2009, I was off my face.

What’s the first thing you do in the morning and the last thing you do at night?

More often than not, I’m jumped on by a gorgeous six-year-old first thing in the morning, and I try to get in as many snuggles as I can before she whispers, extremely loudly and right in the ear-drum: “LET’S GET OUT OF BED.” And last thing, I listen to an audiobook, right now it’s Normal Women by Philippa Gregory, a fabulous run-down of the role of women throughout history. I highly recommend it, and if it doesn’t turn you into a radical, inclusive feminist, nothing will.

Thanks for the interview! We’d like to buy you a drink. Where are we going and what are we drinking?

We’re going to a proper PUB! Living in France, I miss pubs more than I ever imagined. And we’re having a pint of something local. Can’t beat a local brew.

Frisky's Reshuffle, Palais du Variete at Assembly George Square Gardens, 9.55pm, until 24 August

READ MORE: My Festival: Frisky & Mannish