Latest news with #EdinburghFringeFestival
Newsweek
10 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Newsweek
Luigi Mangione Musical Could Be Heading to New York
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Luigi: The Musical, the fringe production about the alleged killer Luigi Mangione, is fresh off a series of sold-out shows in San Francisco. Now, the show's creators are reportedly eyeing up shows at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in August as well as possible future productions in Los Angeles and New York, where the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson took place in December. Newsweek has reached out to Luigi: The Musical via email for comment. Why It Matters Mangione, 27, is accused of shooting Thompson outside of a hotel in Manhattan in December 2024. He is charged with 11 counts, including first-degree murder "in furtherance of an act of terrorism," two counts of second-degree murder, two counts of stalking and a firearms offense. Federal prosecutors have announced their intent to seek the death penalty in Mangione's case. He has pleaded not guilty to state and federal murder charges as well as terrorism charges. Mangione has become the subject of intense public fascination online, with social media users treating the 27-year-old as everything from a sex symbol to a folk hero. The case reignited a discourse about American health care, and Mangione has received a significant amount of support. Protesters holding photos of Luigi Mangione chant and blow whistles as New York City Mayor Eric Adams speaks during a press conference at City Hall on June 26, 2025. Protesters holding photos of Luigi Mangione chant and blow whistles as New York City Mayor Eric Adams speaks during a press conference at City Hall on June 26, 2025. Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images What To Know Luigi: The Musical is a surreal prison satire that follows in the footsteps of musicals like Chicago and Sweeney Todd. The musical was created by songwriter Arielle Johnson and director Nova Bradford and features original music from Johnson and Bradford, performed by pianist Dani Macri, who also serves as associate musical director. The synopsis for the musical reads, "Our characters reflect three institutions of modern disillusionment: healthcare, tech, and Hollywood. Each represents a pillar of American life where public trust has eroded and where people increasingly feel betrayed, exploited, or abandoned." Mangione's two real-life inmates at the Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC), Sean Diddy Combs and Sam Bankman-Fried, both appear as characters in the musical. Fried is the embattled co-founder of the now-defunct cryptocurrency exchange FTX, who is serving a 25-year prison sentence. Combs was found guilty in his sex trafficking child of transportation to engage in prostitution in his sex trafficking trial, but not guilty of racketeering and sex trafficking. He remains detained at the Metropolitan Detention Center, Brooklyn. The show stars Jonny Stein as Luigi, André Margatini as SBF, Janée Lucas as Diddy, and Calab Zeingue as Guard (Sgt. Delarosa). Bradford told The Hollywood Reporter, "There is this interesting thing that these three men represent three pillars of society that people have lost a lot of trust in recent years, including health care, Hollywood and the whole tech/VC/finance ecosystem." The Hollywood Reporter reported that the creators are looking at the 2025 Edinburgh Fringe Festival, New York and Los Angeles for future possible productions. It's not clear where the Mangione musical would be staged if it were to go to New York for a future production, but if it were to be held in the Theatre District, that would mean it would be mere blocks away from where Thompson was killed. The musical was met with criticism and controversy when it was announced. It is described as a "comedy," in a synopsis on its website, which also notes that the show "doesn't glorify violence." The show was first set for a handful of shows at a 49-seat San Francisco theatre, but after selling out that run, production moved to The Independent, a 350-person theatre. What People Are Saying A statement on the Luigi: The Musical website: "Luigi: the Musical doesn't glorify violence, it interrogates it. Beneath the absurdity and punchlines lies a serious critique of how violence is packaged, sold, and consumed in American media. The show takes aim at a culture where brutality is both entertainment and spectacle, inviting audiences to laugh while also asking why we're so quick to tune in when someone gets hurt. "But it goes further, examining how violence is not just the act of individuals, but of elite institutions—like healthcare, Hollywood, and tech—through their neglect, indifference, and lack of accountability. Through sharp satire and irreverent humor, Luigi: the Musical uses comedy as a tool to expose just how normalized, and profitable, violence has become, challenging viewers to reckon with their own responses along the way." What Happens Next Further dates of the play and where it may be staged remain to be seen.
Time Out
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Time Out
San Francisco's hit Luigi Mangione musical could be coming to NYC and L.A.—here's what to know
A musical about murder, hash browns, and America's crumbling institutions? Welcome to Luigi: The Musical, the runaway San Francisco fringe hit that might just be singing and tap-dancing its way to New York and Los Angeles. After a sold-out run at the Taylor Street Theater and a larger move to The Independent, this surrealist prison satire—featuring Sean 'Diddy' Combs, Sam Bankman-Fried and alleged killer Luigi Mangione as cellmates—has become a cultural moment. And yes, it really includes a ballad about breakfast potatoes and a love story between Diddy and SBF. The show reimagines its infamous trio not just as inmates at Brooklyn's Metropolitan Detention Center (which they were in real life), but as symbolic pillars of a broken America: Hollywood, tech and healthcare. Created by four stand-up comics (Nova Bradford, Arielle Johnson, André Margatini and Caleb Zeringue), the show turns real-world headlines into a tap-heavy, morally ambiguous fever dream. There's even a number about Mangione being arrested after removing his mask to flirt with a hostel worker and buying McDonald's hash browns. Despite its absurdity, the musical is not just punching down. It satirizes celebrity crime obsession and the commodification of violence, asking pointed questions about public trust and the role of institutions. 'These three people represent these big pillars of institutions in society that are failing in their trust: health care, Hollywood and then Big Tech,' Zeringue told the San Francisco Chronicle. The creators are currently eyeing the Edinburgh Fringe Festival this August, with New York and L.A. productions in active discussion. While no dates have been confirmed, early buzz and interest from out-of-town producers suggest Luigi could find its way to bigger stages soon. Audiences have been packing the theater—sometimes standing along the walls—to watch Jonny Stein's heartthrob Luigi croon about martyrdom, back pain and bureaucracy. And while the Chronicle panned the show, that review is now baked into the script as a meta joke. 'I'm noticing people have different reactions based off of their own beliefs that they come in with, which I think is the sign of good art,' Zeringue said in an interview.
RTÉ News
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- RTÉ News
Alison Spittle: "Weight has been a constant war in my life"
Comedian Alison Spittle joined Brendan O'Connor on RTÉ Radio 1 to discuss her new show, Big, which she is bringing to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and Dublin Fringe Festival. Based on her weight loss journey using prescription injections, the show explores her relationship with her body going back to childhood and how she navigates people's reactions to her weight now. "I was going to call it Fat B***h, that's what I was going to call it," she says, clearly thrilled to be cursing on Radio 1. "But, unfortunately, you couldn't put it on a poster." "It's about being a fat b***h, basically, Brendan," she continues, dryly. "Last year, I got into some health difficulties, and I believe that's known as f-ing around and finding out stage of my life." On the advice of doctors, Spittle tried to lose weight the "normal way" but struggled to get the results she needed. Eventually, she decided to try weight-loss injections, an experience that inspired much of her new show. "The best thing about losing weight is now I can catch buses," she deadpans. "Before, buses weren't for me. I was manifesting. I was like, what's meant for me won't pass me." "The worst about losing weight," she adds, "is that people treat me nicer." Going back to the beginning, Brendan asked Alison about her relationship with her body. "I've been fat since I was eight years old," she says, explaining that a lifetime of comments about her weight never once inspired her to become thinner. When told she would have to lose weight to make it in comedy, for example, she became all the more determined to succeed exactly as she was. When it came to critical comments and verbal abuse, for the most part, the comic found that she could see that the issue fell with others rather than herself. "If a fella comes up to you in Temple Bar and calls you a fat b***h, he's not doing it out of concern for your health," she says. Growing up during the Celtic Tiger years, Spittle says that women were constantly being valued on their appearance, whether it be an actress on TV, or an Irish model being photographed walking around town in a bikini. "I felt by staying fat, I was rebelling against that culture," she muses. "When I wanted to change its because I was unwell and I was scared. And then I realised I couldn't change. Like, that was scary." Spittle says that her health complications forced her to face her addictive behaviours towards food: "I barely ate because I was hungry, it was always around emotion." Bed-bound for two weeks, the comic says she "nearly died" during the health scare that led her to research weight loss drugs. Unfortunately, the process wasn't easy, with one doctor telling her that he didn't want her to have "an easy out". "What does that mean? It means that they don't want a fat person to have it any easier to lose weight. That's associated with punishment," she states. Eventually, Spittle was given a prescription for Mounjaro, which almost immediately took away the gratification she usually found from eating. "It's taken the joy out of eating for me, definitely, but that's grand," she says, acknowledging that although the "dopamine" is gone, the reasons why she became addicted to food have yet to be dealt with. Still in the early days of so much change, she says that coping with how people react to her can be challenging, and getting to know her new body and lifestyle is changing all the time. One thing she is clear on? No matter her weight, she never waited for life to begin. Some of her happiest days and most impressive accomplishments happened before weight loss, and she doesn't want to put down that past version of herself.
The National
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- The National
Almost 1000 people gather in Edinburgh to watch man fold fitted sheet
A stand-up comedian from New Zealand, Dan Boerman, has gone viral on social media after he was able to draw a crowd of hundreds of people to watch him successfully fold a fitted sheet at the top of Calton Hill on Friday. The UK-based performer said it was probably the 'craziest marketing stunt' of his career as videos circulating on social media show droves of people cheering Boerman on as he completed the task. Explaining why he decided to pull the stunt, Boerman said that he didn't have thousands of dollars to promote his show at this year's Edinburgh Fringe Festival and had to 'think outside the box' to advertise it. READ MORE: 'The welcome he deserves': TikToker goes viral praising National's Trump front page Along with the short video, which has raked up almost 15,000 likes on Instagram alone, Boerman said: 'Yesterday I summoned almost a 1000 people to the top of Calton Hill to watch me fold a fitted sheet in what was probably the craziest marketing stunt of my career. 'Somebody who legally wasn't me put these fliers all around town. 'Word began to spread in group chats and all across social media. 'By the time of the event, nearly 1000 people showed up to watch the action take place. 'If you don't have rich parents and thousands of dollars for PR, sometimes you just got to think outside the box and everyone there was super excited and had a great time.' In another post on Instagram, the comedian wrote that several other people attempted to fold the sheet, with varying success. He also thanked the hundreds of people who gathered for creating a 'fun' atmosphere. Boerman wrote: 'A couple punters from the crowd stepped forward to try themselves. 'One crushed it. One… gave it an honest go. 'Thank you so much to everyone who came through today. Such a fun atmosphere.' The Dan Boerman Folds a Fitted Sheet on His Own show will be running at The Apex Conference Center in the capital from August 1 to 25 at 2pm each day. The self-proclaimed 'high-energy and chaotic Kiwi comedy' describes his hour-long show as a love letter to 'our better halves and/or our situationships,' which you can find tickets for here. The comedian said he has returned to the festival this year after selling out his shows in Edinburgh last year and has just returned to the UK after touring Melbourne and New Zealand.
Daily Mirror
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
TV fans celebrate as 'greatest show ever created' marks nine-year anniversary
Phoebe Waller-Bridge's British comedy-drama Fleabag marked its nine-year anniversary this week TV fans have celebrated as the "greatest show ever created" marked its nine-year anniversary this week. Groundbreaking BBC drama Fleabag was created and written by Phoebe Waller-Bridge, and centred around a free-spirited woman living in London. The series started as a one-woman show at Edinburgh Fringe Festival before transferring to the small screen in 2016. A second season followed in 2019. The fourth-wall-breaking show stars Phoebe as the titular character, who had no filter as she navigated life and love in the capital while trying to cope with tragedy. "The angry, grief-riddled woman tries to heal while rejecting anyone who tries to help her, but Fleabag continues to keep up her bravado through it all," the synopsis adds. Throughout the series, viewers were introduced to a number of eccentric characters, including Fleabag's stepmother Matrigna (Olivia Colman) and her forbidden love, the Hot Priest (Andrew Scott). The cast also included Sian Clifford, Hugh Skinner, Jenny Rainsford, Bill Paterson and Brett Gelman. Shortly after its premiere, the show received critical acclaim, with many reviewers branding it "one the greatest television series of all time". TV fans also fell in love with the series, with one person writing on IMDb: "I don't remember when I last laughed so much at a series. I was hooked from the first episode. This series is perfect." Another added: "I cannot say enough about how incredible this show is. I absolutely love it. I don't think I've ever watched anything more perfect. Phoebe is an incredible actress, writer, and creator. I desperately wish there could have been more seasons." A third said: "It's the best I have ever seen. It's magic. The characters, the performances, the editing all a masterpiece. It's so intense yet so fresh," with another similarly sharing: "It was SO well done. Everyone involved should be so proud." A fifth fan echoed the sentiment, saying: "I truly believe this is the best British comedy since Peep show and thoroughly enjoyed it in its entirety. Couldn't recommend this show more." As well as positive reviews, Fleabag also received several prestigious awards. Phoebe won a BAFTA for Best Female Comedy Performance for the first series, with the second series earning her Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Comedy Series, Outstanding Lead Actress and Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series. As Fleabag celebrated its nine-year anniversary earlier this week, several fans took to X (formerly Twitter) to pay tribute to the beloved series. "One of the best, happy nine years Fleabag," one person wrote, with another adding: "The best show ever premiered 9 years ago today." If you haven't seen Fleabag yet, why not let this milestone be your sign to add it to your list. You definitely won't regret it.
