Sophie Zucker's Edinburgh Fringe Binge, Cringe and Whinge

Daily Show writer Sophie Zucker is at the Edinburgh Fringe performing her show Taste at Pleasance Courtyard at 9.50pm until August 20. Here she shares what she can't get enough of at the festival, her most embarrassing Edinburgh experience and the worst thing about the Fringe. Apart from the cost of accommodation, obviously…

Fringe binge 

The best part of the festival for me is probably getting my steps in. You guys do this in the UK? It basically means walking at least 10,000 steps a day, which I’ve since learned is a total arbitrary number not based on any sort of facts about how the human body works. 

But it’s too late, 10,000 steps a day is now my holy grail. It usually amounts to about 1.5 hours of walking. It makes me feel physically and mentally well, and also makes my butt look good. 

Living in New York City, I hit it sometimes, but it still requires some effort. At the Fringe, I achieve that number easily, walking from my apartment to my venue to the bar to other shows then back to my apartment. Not to mention all the pacing I’m doing on stage, plus weight-lifting (my microphone). 

I feel athletic after completing a month at the Fringe, a feeling I never get to experience as someone whose favourite sport is cards (I like Crazy Eights). 

I also love meeting comics from all over the world. But I mostly love getting my steps in. 

Fringe cringe 

I am an adult woman but I do sleep with a small stuffed animal bunny that I’ve had since I was an infant. This is now the second time I’ve mentioned her in an interview, and it will be the last. 

Anyways, she normally doesn’t travel with me because she is so rare and precious like a diamond. But my first summer doing the Fringe I was nervous so I brought her. I did the whole summer and had a great experience, and then the day I left I was rushing to make my flight and didn’t do a final sweep of the apartment. You know where this is going…

Midway through my flight to visit a friend in Copenhagen, I realised that I hadn’t packed her and started crying on the plane. But that wasn’t the embarrassing part, because actually high altitudes can make you more emotional, did you know that? This is why I sobbed at How To Train Your Dragon on a flight I took when I was 18. 

No, the embarrassing part was I had to email the woman who owned my apartment and ask her to send my small stuffed animal ASAP. I told her I would pay anything to get it shipped overnight. I also lied and said it was my baby sister’s toy - I do have a sister but she is also an adult woman (who also sleeps with stuffed animals, come to think of it). Suffice it to say, my bunny will not be travelling with me this year, or ever again.

She has an AirTag now. 

Fringe whinge 

The worst thing about the Fringe is that there are too many shows to see and not enough time! 

When I’m doing a solo show at the Fringe, I try to really get a lot of sleep (I also try to do this every day of my life - I love to sleep) and get to my venue early to warm up, so it doesn’t leave a lot of time to see others shows, and there are so many good ones. 

Last year, I came with my group Ladies Who Ranch and even among the five of us, we still were not able to cover every show recommended to us. So, yes, there are too many good shows. That being said, there is always time to come see mine.

Published: 8 Aug 2025