Interview: Jessica Durand “Over The Top”
Conducted by Emmie for Theatre and Tonic
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 Jessica Durand about the show Over The Top.
1. Can you begin by telling us about your show and what inspired it?
Over The Top is a show about fanfiction, specifically World War One Downton Abbey fanfiction. It's all about obsession, fandom, and bringing people together through weird and specific interests. It's a love letter to the fanfiction that I spend my life reading, and it's also extremely silly and extremely fun and I’m very proud of it. (And you don’t need to know anything about Downton Abbey, fanfiction or WW1 to enjoy it).
2. What made you want to bring this work to the Fringe this year?
I have always wanted to do the Fringe, I did stand up for 3 years and always saw myself bringing a stand-up show here. But recently I have found narrative comedy to be my true calling, and this feels like the show and the moment to make my Fringe debut.
3. How would you describe your show in three words?
Fanfiction. Fruity. Fun.
4. What do you hope audiences take away from watching your performance?
I really hope that I can reach people who already read a lot of fanfiction and they will be able to see their great love for it represented on stage, and for those who have never read any I hope I can show them that it's a much richer and more interesting world than they might think. .
5. What’s your top tip for surviving the Fringe?
I haven't survived one yet! Check back at the end of August.
6. Where and when can people see your show?
Underbelly Cowgate, Delhi Belly - every day of the fringe at 6:55pm (apart from 11th August)
