Next in our Edinburgh Fringe interview series, we speak to Lucy Bosivert (Infinite Monkey Theater Co) about bringing their latest show to the festival. The show is listed as ”Oops! We Lost a Nuke is a comedic play set in the 1950s, featuring four characters performed – sometimes simultaneously – by two actors. When an unassuming pacifist abuses his position within the US government in order to hide a nuclear warhead, it becomes clear that his affair with his secretary and his wife’s affair with her doctor are the least of their worries. As the government closes in, secrets come to light.”
How would you describe your show to someone discovering it for the first time at the Fringe?
Oops! We Lost a Nuke is a retro, queer cacophony. This comedic play, set in the 1950s, features four characters performed—sometimes simultaneously—by two actors. When an unassuming pacifist abuses his position within the U.S. government to hide a nuclear warhead, it becomes clear that his affair with his secretary and his wife’s affair with a visiting nuclear physicist are the least of their worries. Audiences can expect chaos, quick costume changes, puppets, props, and gender-bending.
What moment, idea or frustration first sparked this show into existence?
I make this thing in real life called Cube Dinner. I take a ruler and chop a bunch of vegetables into perfect little cubes. It just makes me feel good. I think it’s a control thing. But then again, all writers have a control thing. Why else would we spend our time making people say exactly what we want them to say and convincing other people to watch? I was telling my creative partner, Fletcher, about Cube Dinner, and we started joking about those bizarre recipes people used to make in the ’50s. It naturally just slid into these characters, Fletcher playing this scattered wife and me the traditional husband.
How has the show evolved from its earliest idea to what audiences will see now?
As we kept writing, the show gradually stopped being about the bomb and became about the relationships. That shift let us move away from the plot-heavy annoying logic stuff and focus on what was actually fun for us: sexuality, gender, and puppets.
What makes Edinburgh Fringe the right place for this show right now?
With the rise of traditionalism in the U.S. and the pressure to return to more restrictive ideas about gender roles, we think there’s no better time to satirize those narrow boxes, and the Fringe feels like the perfect home for a show doing that in a very chaotic, silly way.
What does bringing this particular show to the Fringe represent for you personally?
Coming back to the Fringe after the incredible experience we had there in 2025 has been our north star all year. This year our run is longer and more ambitious. We’re bringing two shows, which should be exhausting, but everyone is genuinely excited to be in it together. Our cast have been friends and collaborators for years and getting to spend a month making art with people who are not only wildly talented but also genuinely kind, funny, and decent human beings feels like a gift. I don’t think many people get to spend this much time with their closest friends doing the thing they love most, and we don’t take that for granted.
What has been the most unexpectedly challenging part of getting this show to Edinburgh?
This show has a lot of moving parts. We have around 10 homemade puppets, a bunch of costumes, and a whole world of props that all need to fit into checked luggage, travel across the ocean, and be loaded in and out quickly every night. Finding the balance between making creative choices that feel intentional while also respecting the unique practical challenges of the Fringe has been one of the most unexpectedly challenging parts of the process.
If audiences leave the venue holding onto one thing, what do you hope it is?
Maybe the real nuclear weapon is the friends we made along the way… (ugh, ew)
How do you think performing this show during a Fringe run will shape it?
Because of how technically complicated this show is, I think it will be really exciting to see it start to move on its own during the Fringe run. Right now, there are so many moments where our crew has to think about scene transitions, costume changes, and where every prop needs to be at every moment. Seeing the show gain some more autonomy is going to be really cool.
Who do you hope this show finds at the Fringe?
An audience that finds watching it as fun as we find performing it.
Finally, if this show came with a warning label, what would it say?
Watch out for flying wigs.
Oops! We Lost a Nuke runs at The Edinburgh Festival Fringe from 20th-30th August 2026.