Edinburgh Fringe Chats (#41): Elis Pear, BITTER BABY
As anticipation builds for the Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2025, we’re catching up with a range of exciting creatives preparing to bring their work to the world’s largest arts festival this August. In this series, we delve into the stories behind the shows, the inspiration driving the artists, and what audiences can expect.
Today, we’re joined by Elis Pear about her show, Bitter Baby.
Can you begin by telling us about Bitter Baby and what inspired it?
Bitter Baby is a solo show that follows a PhD graduate who turns to sex work after being diagnosed with autism, while grappling with identity, language difficulties, and the systemic hurdles of being an immigrant in the UK. It’s rooted in real stories — including my own — and delves into the intersections of sex work, academia, neurodivergence, and survival. The inspiration came from a need to humanise lives that are often judged, misunderstood, or completely erased — especially those of women who don’t fit the expected narratives about sex work.
What made you want to bring this work to the Fringe this year?
The Fringe is one of the rare platforms where someone like me — an immigrant, a working-class artist and someone with a strong accent — can tell a story like this, raw and unapologetically complex. Bitter Baby doesn’t fit into tidy categories. It’s angry, sharply funny, deeply personal, and politically charged.
How would you describe the show in three words?
Unapologetic. Satirical. Provocative.
What do you hope audiences take away from watching your performance?
I want them to leave with less judgment and more curiosity. Not just about sex work, but about what it means to live between worlds — culturally, economically, neurologically — and still feel like you belong nowhere. If even one person walks away questioning what they thought they knew about class, power, accent bias, or empowerment, then the show has done its job.
What’s your top tip for surviving the Fringe?
Lean on your people. Community is everything. And remember: burnout isn’t a badge of honour.
Where and when can people see your show?
You can catch Bitter Baby at Le Monde (Venue 47) at 2 pm from the 5th to the 25th of August.
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