On the Mic – Details, episodes & analysis

On the Mic: Five a Day will kick off proper on August 1st. Every day Martin Walker will be reviewing and recommending five Edinburgh Fringe comedy shows.

In this pilot, we scoot round Edinburgh, checking out spaces that will become some of the Fringe's main venues. Martin chats to Dani Rae, Managing Director of the Assembly Festival. And we end with a song, from Steve’s Big Dumb Show! 

We are very grateful to Sorcha Judge, and everyone at the Fringe office. Thanks also to Amanda Emery, Bex Colwell, David Burns, Flick Morris, Gaby Jerrard, Jane Walker, Julian Hall, Madelaine Bennett, Marissa Burgess, Mel Brown and Paul Sullivan.

Thanks to the On the Mic Team, Sophie Mitchell, Bret Hart and Tom Brown.

PBH Weekender 27th-29th June 2025, in London https://linktr.ee/pbhweekender

The twenty three shows mentioned in this episode:

Abby Wambaugh: The First 3 Minutes of 17 Shows https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/abby-wambaugh-the-first-3-minutes-of-17-shows

Alan Davies: Think Ahead https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/alan-davies-think-ahead

Cabbage the Clown: Cinemadrome https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/cabbage-the-clown-cinemadrome

Elf Lyons: The Bird Trilogy https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/elf-lyons-the-bird-trilogy

Frisky's Reshuffle https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/frisky-s-reshuffle

Jason Byrne: Head in the Clouds https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/jason-byrne-head-in-the-clouds

Jay Lafferty: Ooft! https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/jay-lafferty-ooft

Jo Caulfield – Bad Mood Rising https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/jo-caulfield-bad-mood-rising

Jordan Gray: Is That a C*ck in Your Pocket, or Are You Just Here to Kill Me? https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/jordan-gray-is-that-a-c-ck-in-your-pocket-or-are-you-just-here-to-kill-me

Kate Dolan: The Critic https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/kate-dolan-the-critic

Luke Wright: Pub Grub https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/luke-wright-pub-grub

Mark Thomas WD40 https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/mark-thomas-wd40

Nina Conti: Whose Face Is It Anyway? https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/nina-conti-whose-face-is-it-anyway

Paul Sinha: 2 Sinha Lifetime https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/paul-sinha-2-sinha-lifetime

Police Cops: The Original https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/police-cops-the-original

Richard Herring: RHLSTP https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/richard-herring-rhlstp

Robin Ince: Ice Cream for a Broken Tooth https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/robin-ince-ice-cream-for-a-broken-tooth

Steve's Big Dumb Show! https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/steve-s-big-dumb-show

Susan Harrison: Should I Still Be Doing This? https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/susan-harrison-should-i-still-be-doing-this

Susie McCabe: Best Behaviour https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/susie-mccabe-best-behaviour

Takashi Wakasugi: Comedy Samurai https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/takashi-wakasugi-comedy-samurai

Tom Stade: Naughty by Nature https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/tom-stade-naughty-by-nature

2025 Last Chance Saloon with Vladimir McTavish https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/2025-last-chance-saloon-with-vladimir-mctavish

Laura Corcoran and Matthew Floyd Jones are the multi award winning musical comedy double act, Frisky and Mannish. In this classic interview, Laura chats about their origins and discusses three of our favourite F&M tracks.

Featuring songs, LGBTQIA, Do You Want to Build a Landlord? and We Are the Stars.

Frisky and Mannish's Profile HERE

www.onthemic.co.uk

Narin Oz (née Narin Özenci) is an actor, comedian, writer and prankster based in London, England.

She co-starred on the television hidden camera show, Girls Go Trolling (Ch4) with Stephanie O’Keeffe, Annie McGrath and Verona Rose. She acted in the TV comedy drama Man Like Mobeen (BBC Three) and in feature movies Hooligan Legacy (dir. Nicholas Winter, 2016), Finding Fatimah (dir. Oz Arshad, 2017) and several other roles.

This is her origin story.

Narin's Profile: HERE

www.onthemic.co.uk

Performer, writer, director and comedy polymath Stuart Laws brings his most personal show yet to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Fringe.

This is his origin story.

He also chats about his show, 'Stuart Laws Has To Be Joking?'.

Image by Ed Moore. Presented by Martin Walker.

Stuart’s Profile and Social Media HERE

Alfie co-created Gun and Wand: The Official Companion Podcast, a podcast about a TV show that doesn’t exist. We love it. 2024 sees him take his debut hour to the Edinburgh Fringe.

This is his origin story.

We also hear about that debut hour, called Alfie Packham: My Gift to You.

Image by Rebecca Need-Menear. Presented by Martin Walker

View Alfie’s Profile and Social Media HERE

Milo Edwards is not posh. But everybody thinks he is, including members of his own Essex family. So what happened?

This is his origin story.

Milo also talks about his 2024 Edinburgh show, intriguingly titled,  How Revolting! Sorry To Offend.

Image by Joshua Peroti. Presented by Martin Walker.

Milo’s Profile and Social Media HERE

Ollie is 32 years old this year (aka the business end of his late-20s), and he’s starting to wonder whether the reason he hasn’t yet found a wife is because he isn’t toxic enough. So he is performing in Edinburgh in a Toxic Yurt.

This is his origin story.

He also talks about his 2024 Edinburgh show, Comedy for Toxic People (and their friends).

Image by Gabrielle Boudville. Presented by Martin Walker.

Ollie’s Profile and Social Media HERE

Michael Kunze is an award-winning actor, writer, director and improviser. His two-hander musical comedy Lil Saffron: Ragu to Riches, received multiple five-star reviews at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2022. It was really rather good. 

This is his origin story.

We also hear from Michael about his 2024 Edinburgh show, Michael Kunze: Infinity Mirror.

Presented by Martin Walker.

Michael’s Profile and Social Media HERE

In 2012 Gearóid made his solo debut at the Edinburgh Festival with his show, Turbulence winning a five-star review in the process. Not a bad start.

This is his origin story.

We also talk about his 2024 Edinburgh show, Gearóid Farrelly: Gearóid Rage

Presented by Martin Walker

Gearóid’s Profile and Social Media HERE

You've probably seen actor/comedian Anna Akana in Marvel's Ant-Man, Comedy Central's Corporate, Netflix's Jupiter's Legacy or the Emmy-nominated series that she executive produced and starred in, Youth and Consequences. Or maybe you are one of her 2.9 million subscribers on YouTube.

This is her origin story.

This episode of On the Mic contains potentially triggering themes, strong language and references to suicide.

If you are in the UK and need someone to talk to, contact The Samaritans HERE or phone 116 1123.

On the Mic is presented by Martin Walker.

https://www.onthemic.co.uk/