Q&A with Ele McKenzie

You talk about “arrested development” in the show. Do you think modern adulthood looks very different to what previous generations imagined?

I think people get their shit together a lot later these days. 

A lot of people in their late twenties and thirties feel stuck between adolescence and adulthood now. Do you think comedy is a good way of exploring that uncertainty?

Yes. I think any difficult situation is worth exploring through comedy. Those are often the funniest stories. There’s nothing particularly funny about things going according to plan.

What would 16-year-old Ele think about you moving back into her bedroom and turning it into a Fringe show?

I think she’d find the whole thing pretty bleak.

Returning to your childhood bedroom at 30 feels both funny and emotionally loaded. Did being back in that environment unlock memories or feelings you hadn’t expected?

I’ve really regressed. My mum does my laundry and I’m eating a lot of cheesestrings.

The phrase “bringing it all back home” can imply comfort, regression or starting over. Which interpretation feels closest to the show?

All of the above.

Ele McKenzie: Bringing It All Back Home performs at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe from 5th - 30th August. For more information, visit https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/ele-mckenzie-bringing-it-all-back-home