How would you describe your show to someone discovering it for the first time at the Fringe? Love in the Time of Fifth Grade is all about how I hit my sensual peak in primary school. I present the audience with real-life stories of my passionate love affairs from under the age of ten and compare that to my dating horror stories from my early twenties. Now, I grew up in the early 2000s, so my comedy is chock full of Y2K references including but not limited to: Bratz… Shrek… and Chef Gordon Ramsey. In keeping with the theme, everyone I mention in my show appears as a stick figure that I’ve drawn in Microsoft Paint just like the good old days on the family computer. And to cap everything off I end with a Disney Channel-inspired original pop song about how raw scallops are a metaphor for living life to the fullest (I mentioned Chef Gordon Ramsey is a key reference, right?). What moment, idea or frustration first sparked this show into existence? In my early 20s, I went through a period of about five years where I didn’t go on a single date (woof). Eventually I broke that seal with a guy from my improv team (woof woof). I started reflecting on how I ended up in a situation where I was completely comfortable cutting love out of my life. How did it get so bad? Especially when as a child I was kissing and biting countless boys and even forging love letters! This show is an exploration of what happened and why I’m ready to embrace my childhood Marina all over again. Many of us, especially women, are taught to shed parts of our personality when we hit puberty and become “adults.” We think “to grow up” is to accept what’s in front of us, and stop dreaming of what we doodle about in the corner of our journals. This show is my way of getting some of those parts back, and encouraging others to also reconnect to their past selves. How has the show evolved from its earliest idea to what audiences will see now? I’ve been working on this show on and off for the past ten years, and I love sharing that it was originally called “Desert of Labia” — wherein I played the deputy sheriff of the ghost town that was my vagina. Over the years, as I worked my way up in the New York comedy scene and discovered my authentic comedic voice, I realised that framing device wasn’t serving me. Instead those stories I loved to share were always at the heart of the piece. I’ve been writing and workshopping this show over the last two years. I’ve performed it throughout venues in New York City and at the esteemed New York Comedy Festival. Eventually the brilliant Bryan Berlin (Running Scared, Edfringe 2024) offered to direct the piece. His guidance brought much needed heart the piece was longing for. It looks nothing like it did at the beginning but i’m really proud of where it stands now. What makes Edinburgh Fringe the right place for this show right now? We need more representation for pre-puberty girl horniness and I can’t think of a better place to showcase that then next to a castle in Scotland. Not to mention — Gen Z is out here idolizing the early 2000s online and they need to know what it was really like. That we were sold shampoos that were for girls and horses. That some people’s moms (cough cough mine) shopped for themselves at Abercrombie and Fitch and believed Eminem was my generation’s Bob Dylan. That rejection, be it in a text or right to your face, hurts no matter what. What does bringing this particular show to the Fringe represent for you personally? This dream started for me about ten years ago when I fell in love with solo performance in college. Like most things in life, I googled the best place for solo performance and my journey to Edfringe began. Over the years, I’ve spoken to dozens of performers who all said the same thing: it’s one of the hardest things you’ll do but one of the most rewarding. For me what will make this festival great — is simply getting to do it. Any friends, connections or positive feedback I collect along the way is all a cherry on top. What has been the most unexpectedly challenging part of getting this show to Edinburgh? My show is jam packed with early 2000s references, so one thing I’ve had to develop is what I call a “Euro Reference Radar.” Essentially, reading through my script to figure out which references can translate to the UK and which can’t. Believe or not, I had a whole internal debate about whether or not Jerry Springer as a concept would cross the pond. Then I found out he was born in London so I’m hoping that’s good enough. If audiences leave the venue holding onto one thing, what do you hope it is? Alfred, Lord Tennyson said it best: “Tis better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all.” In a time when everyone is striving to appear perfect and avoid cringe, it’s so important to highlight the struggle. Struggling is normal. Any movie or story you’ve ever read involves struggle. It sucks. But it’s what helps us grow and find the people who truly love us. How do you think performing this show during a Fringe run will shape it? Much like an air fryer, I hope the Fringe will help to crispen up my show and make the jokes really sing. My show has a very strong outline and foundation but with the daily runs it’ll get the grease to make it smooth and snappy. I also love interacting with the audience in small ways (don’t worry I won’t crowd work to the point of asking where you’re from). I can’t wait for the show to take on a new life based on their reactions. Who do you hope this show finds at the Fringe? Anyone seeking comfort in their dating life. Women who felt their true inner child was rejected by society. Don Bluth fans. Finally, if this show came with a warning label, what would it say? WARNING: pervy Italian Grandpas who believe it’s still 1857 up ahead. Love in the Time of Fifth Grade runs at The Edinburgh Festival Fringe from 7th-20th August 2026.
Next in our Edinburgh Fringe interview series, we speak to Marina di Marzo about her debut show, Love In The Fifth Grade. Described as “a hilarious and heartfelt exploration of love, heartbreak and growing up,” the show sees the New York comedian revisit her early 2000s childhood to work out exactly when her hopeless romantic streak took a turn for the worse.
