Q&A : Lucy Porter

We're interviewing the multi-talented Lucy Porter on her brand-new Edinburgh Fringe Show 'Wake-up Call.' Debuting at Pleasance Courtyard, Porter proudly presents her revelations, realisations and epiphanies in an exuberant and silly hour show. Taking the audience on a journey of grief, love, loss, shame and regret the incredible Lucy Porter navigates her midlife crisis. An antidote to toxic positivity the show delivers a bleak but hilarious message on the reality of middle- age life.

What is it about the Fringe Festival that keeps you coming back?

The opportunity to see great theatre, comedy, music, dance, magic and all other kinds of creativity in the most beautiful city on earth. Also, amazing food, including the magical sauce that Edinburgh chips shops serve, which is surely made in heaven.

Tell us about your show Wake-Up Call?

It’s inspired by the realisations and revelations that have occurred to me since 2019. I usually do a show for the Edinburgh fringe every year, so I have three years’ worth of pent-up energy and comedy material to purge. I think the pandemic was a spur for lots of people to reset their lives. I haven’t really made any massive changes, but I’ve realised things like I will now only wear pyjamas - whatever the time of day, I really appreciate my neighbours, and I could never be a teacher.

One piece of advice to anyone having a mid-life crisis?

They say you should try to get out more and spend time in nature. I find that the menopause has fried my brain, and I was forgetful anyway, so I am constantly losing my keys. This gives me plenty of time to sit in the local park and contemplate the beauty of the natural world while I wait for my husband to come home and let me into the house.

What three things got you through lockdown?

Cheese (hard ones like Parmesan)

Cheese (softish ones like Gruyère)

Cheese (runny ones like Camembert)

Basically I ate a lot of cheese. At one point I cut myself and bled fondue.

What are a few themes in your new show?

Cheese. Home schooling. Midlife crises. Wim Hoff. Radio 2. Grouting. Beer Mats. Suburban bin collection schedules. It’s the most middle-aged show you’ll ever see, but I’m hoping that people my age will relate to it, that younger people will see it as a wakeup call to avoid sliding into despair and that older people will take the chance to have a lovely nap in a darkened room.

See Lucy Porter: Wake-Up Call at the Pleasance during the Edinburgh Festival Fringe from 3-20 August. For more information and tickets visit www.edfringe.com or www.pleasance.co.uk