American comedian gives us a status report on her first Fringe

We asked some Edinburgh Fringe debutants about their expectations of the festival before it kicked off. Now we’re in the final week, we wondered how reality had matched up. Here are both sets of answers from visiting American comedian Ruby McCollister:

What do you hope to get out of the Fringe?

How it started: My biggest hope for Fringe is that people genuinely love this show. (That is maybe the most mundane answer on the face of the earth but I gotta be real!) My show is a dogwhistle of a show – it's for the girls, guys, pals who get it.

How’s it going: My goals for Fringe haven't really changed. I came here wanting people to connect to the material. And that's still the goal and the mission every day. I love that people are connected to the show as much as they have.

What's your biggest fear going into the festival?

How it started:  It's an intimidating process through and through.  But every man says I’m intimidating, and honey, I’M WORTH IT! An ex-boyfriend once said, in the height of the worst part of our relationship, everything worth fighting for is hard. Admittedly prepping for Edinburgh is far more pleasurable than that relationship. I have never gone before, It's all new and thrilling. But true fears, darling? I can’t tell you that, that’s like giving you the passwords to my bank account!

How’s it going:  I still get nervous every time I perform. There's such wild unknowns and the crowds everyday give you an entirely new energy you have to work with. Each crowd at Fringe is so different. You never know or can anticipate what you're going to get. I'm still intimidated by flyering, but now it's become a compulsion. What am I gonna spend my days doing once I go home?

How are you feeling about the state of your show?

How it started:  Recently I cracked some essential parts about my show. So I feel very excited, currently. There's certain aspects of the show I feel lucky to perform!  But it's a constant process. Everything always is…

How’s it going:  My show has morphed a lot since performing it.  I'm very happy with it.  Yet, on sort of a sincere, cringe artistic note, I realise this is a story I had to say fully out loud - get it out of my system so I could write, say, do, anything else.

What do you hope the reviewers say?

How it started:  OK  let’s get real: I’m vaguely superstitious. I was raised by a very superstitious father in a theatre in Los Angeles.  Because theatre, in general, is a superstitious art form. Par exemple: Every night before a show my father would spray down the stage with this fragrance he got from a psychic. I think the spray was literally called ‘Show Time’.  Something like that.  He never talked about it, but I would watch him do it every night.  You were to never speak of the Scottish play in the theatre, You would always say ‘break a leg’ NEVER ‘good luck’, and if I opened an umbrella inside I would be asked to go outside and spin around on one foot.  In short –I can’t say what I hope the reviews will say. C’est malchance

How’s it going:  I was deeply pleased with my reviews. I came in not really understanding the whole reviewing game here at Fringe and what a big deal it is. I am so pleasantly surprised by all of the writing about my show. I'm so grateful for it! One reviewer said ‘Tragedy is the millennial Sunset Boulevard’, my favourite movie of all time, and now I can actually die happy. Mission accomplished!

What do you think your average audience will be?

How it started:  I hope my average audience members are teenagers that understand self destructive desire. All teenagers are goths.

How’s it going:  I had no idea how unpredictable and varied the audiences would be everyday. But as I suspected my show is for the teenaged girls.

What steps do you aim to take to look after your mental and physical health?

How it started: What is this, an interview with my doctor? I believe all sanity begins in the morning.

How’s it going: I meditate quite often. But mental health is unavoidably wild during Fringe. This is some spiritual test of belief or something. I've never experienced anything quite like this.  I came here funny and I'm leaving here a sage monk, if that gives you any context.

• Ruby McCollister: Tragedy is on at Underbelly Cowgate at 5.30pm

Published: 21 Aug 2023