Edinburgh Fringe Chats (#142): Christina Deinsberger, THE CITY FOR INCURABLE WOMEN

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 Bilal Musa Huka to find out more about her show, Black Blues Brothers. Let’s Twist Again!

1. Can you begin by telling us about your show and what inspired it?

The main inspiration was the fact that for a while Helena, Charlie and I wanted to make a play together. At that time Charlie got quite obsessed with images of ‘the mad woman’ in the media and after some research excavated the story of the Salpêtrière - a 19th century psychiatric hospital where female patients had to perform their madness onstage in front of a live-audience. That’s what drew us down the rabbit hole of the history of hysteria and, well, a couple of months later, here we are!

2. What made you want to bring this work to the Fringe this year?

Fringe, to me, has always been a bit of a mystery-place. Some sort of right of passage for UK theatre makers. At the same time, let’s be honest, I always found the idea of taking a show there a little intimidating. After our first work in progress show at SPRINT festival, Camden People’s Theatre, we had a lot of great and encouraging responses. A producer we particularly trust told us: “You should take this to The Fringe. It would do very well there.” And since, in Judith we trust, the decision was made. Now, I am extremely happy we jumped into the deep end. Already I am starting to feel the buzz and connectedness that will only grow towards the summer.

3. How would you describe your show in three words?

Queer feminist madness!

4. What do you hope audiences take away from watching your performance? 

Of course we want to make people think about female bodily autonomy, about medical misogyny and about history - how progress in history is not linear and that ground once conquered is not banked forever. At the same time, I hope people do have a good laugh with us.

And - as a minimum - they will have received a proper saging - the o.g. hysteria cure.

5. What’s your top tip for surviving the Fringe?

Don’t panic and carry a towel.

6. Where and when can people see your show?

Come see us at The Pleasance Courtyard, Upstairs. 30th July - 25th August (not 12th August), 1.35pm!

INSTAGRAM: @fishinadress https://www.instagram.com/fishinadress/

SHOW LINK: https://www.pleasance.co.uk/event/city-incurable-women-0

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