So, Olivia Levine, tell us about your Fringe show?

My show is a comedic solo show entitled UNSTUCK, and it's about the intersection of my Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and my sexuality. Using standup and storytelling, I communicate what it was like growing up with an undiagnosed mental health disorder, and how that impacted the development of my sexuality, specifically my queerness.

The show begins with my first major OCD spike! Fun! I take you through my childhood and several of my obsessions, including a fear of impregnating my own mother and killing my father. Then we move on to the college years, coming out, and navigating relationships with OCD. All in all, it’s very much an exploration of queerness, the concept of control and the beauty of leaning into uncertainty.

I wrote the show about four years ago now, and I have been performing it in NYC and the surrounding area ever since. It has changed a lot since its inception, and I think I have a really polished, funny show on my hands. I am also producing the show, as I have for the past few years. Molly Rose Heller directed the show, and she will travel with me to Edinburgh for the first week of performances. I am chuffed!

How does it feel to be playing the Fringe for the first time?

I am definitely nervous and also very excited. I really thrive in new situations because I find that I am most present when I am doing something entirely unfamiliar to me, so I am psyched to be in a totally fresh environment. I am a very social person, so I also really look forward to socialising with other comedians and getting to know Edinburgh.

On the other hand, I am pretty terrified. I mean, I know my show very well and I absolutely adore performing it, but I have never done this many performances in a row before, and I know I’ll have to take great care of myself. I am curious to learn new things about the show, see how it translates to a different audience, etc. I guess what I am saying is, LET’S DO THE DANG THING but also HELPPPPPPP!

Why did you decide to perform at the Fringe?

I started performing UNSTUCK in 2019, and lots of folks that came to the show recommended I take it to Fringe. I actually was planning to go in 2020, and then the pandemic hit, and there hasn’t been a summer that’s worked out again until now. But on a more personal note, I think this show is pretty special, and I feel really excited to share it with more people.

Because of the content – mental health, sexuality – there tends to be something in there for everyone, and I get lots of folks coming up to me after shows to tell me how much the piece resonated for one reason or another. That’s the best part of performing it – connecting with other people, helping them feel more seen or less alone. So, however trite that may sound, that honestly is my biggest motivation for bringing the show to Fringe – human connection via comedy and storytelling.

If you were not a performer what would you be doing?

I would probably be a therapist or a teacher. I just really like people. I am sort of the resident therapist among my friends, the person everyone calls with their problems. I like to think I’m a good listener, and that I am able to help people feel supported. I think being a therapist would be very fulfilling. And then I also adore kids and they really lift my spirits, so I think being a teacher would be incredibly demanding, but very rewarding. Also, I love structure and being busy, so teaching would be great for that.

How do you prepare for a performance?

Normally I do some physical warm ups – exercises I have gathered from acting classes, improv and sports teams, even. I like to quickly review some of my lines, even when I know them really well. It feels more like a ritual than a necessity, but it helps. I also whisper “Flashdance Baby!” to myself right before I go onstage, because my mom used to say that to me before soccer matches, in reference to the seminal 1980s Jennifer Beals film.

Best/worst advice you’ve been given ahead of your debut show?

Well, since I have yet to debut, I can’t really say yet! BUT, one piece of advice I have gotten that feels really apt is that your first Fringe is about learning the ropes and starting to suss out the festival, how it operates, what works and what doesn’t, etc. Essentially, this person was telling me to dream big but keep my expectations low, and I think that’s generally a great approach to the industry. Or, I’ll speak for myself – that is a great approach for me :)

Favourite thing about being in Edinburgh?

Can’t wait to find out!

 What’s the most Scottish thing you’ve done?

Well I am not sure how Scottish this is, but it does involve a Scottish PERSON. I was watching the show Shetland on Brit Box, and I really liked one of the performers, Kari Corbett. So I found her on Instagram, and we ended up striking up a conversation, and now we write back and forth. She is even coming to my show! That so far is the most Scottish thing about my life haha.

Favourite Scottish food/drink?

I am told I must try (and like) something called Irn-Bru...

10 Sum up your show in three words
Honest, raunchy, striking

Olivia Levine’s debut stand up hour ‘Unstuck’ is at Just The Tonic - The Mash House Bottle Room @ 7.30pm for tickets go to www.edfringe.com

Twitter: @OliviaLevine19 IG: @olivialevine19
Website: olivia-levine.com