Gwen Coburn brings her show to the Edinburgh Fringe this year where she faces her fears of snakes, PTSD and the patriarchy. Quite a mix to put into a one-hour show. I have caught up with Gwen to find out more.

Where did the inspiration or ideas come from for your show/production?

Sad Girl Songs began as both a personal reckoning and a tribute to all the brilliant women who’ve walked away from comedy because it became unsafe for them. After my PTSD diagnosis, I kept meeting people with eerily similar stories – the same patterns of exploitation, the same loss of creative community. It made me realize I wasn’t documenting just my experience, but something much more systemic. I became fascinated by how mythology has always been used to justify violence against women – take Medusa, who gets assaulted and then punished for it by being turned into a monster. The show explores how these ancient victim-blaming narratives still shape how we treat survivors today. It’s my way of taking those stories back and rewriting them with honesty, rage, and hopefully some really good jokes.

What do you plan on doing to relax and get some “time out” during the Fringe?

I’m a horse-girl at heart, so knowing I would be missing my animals at home (my poodle-chihuahua mutt Bella, pitbull-chihuahua mutt Sammy, and horse-I’m-assuming-also-chihuahua-mutt-somehow Stella) I planned two evenings to go to a local stable and pet horses. I’m super excited for it. I’m also on a mission to find Edinburgh’s most perfect little reading nook – somewhere with good tea, comfy chairs, and the kind of atmosphere where you can disappear into a book for hours. Realistically, I won’t have hours of free time. More like hour, singular. But in that hour I hope to be snuggled up and reading. Preferably with an earl grey tea, and a yummy pastry of some sort. Lastly, I’m incredibly grateful to be connected with Health in Mind Edinburgh for mental health support and self-care throughout the festival. As someone managing PTSD, knowing I have those resources available lets me be more present and take bigger creative risks.

How do you deal with stage nerves before each performance, if you have them?

Sad Girl Songs is vulnerable and raw, so there’s always a moment when I feel a tinge of nerves before going on.  But I’ve learned that the vulnerability is exactly what makes the connection with the audience so powerful, and that makes it easier to channel the nerves into excitement.  I do a little warm-up routine, dance to some Nikki Minaj and Jessie J, and remind myself that I get to share this upcoming moment with the audience. 

What obstacles have you faced preparing for the Edinburgh Fringe this year?

Edinburgh Fringe is a huge undertaking logistically, especially travelling overseas, and especially as someone with PTSD who know she’ll have some access needs. Making lots of lists, taking it one step at a time, and reaching out for help when I need it has been key to hopping those hurdles. Also, in the process of crafting a Medusa headpiece for the show’s promotional photos, I have been startled by my own misplaced rubber snakes at least five times. An obstacle of my own making, but taxing none the less. 

Favourite and worst thing about performing?

Favorite: That moment when you make a joke about something that isn’t inherently funny and the whole room laughs together. If we all discover it together in the moment? Chef’s kiss.  I love finding shared humanity and joy in the darkness. 
Worst: It’s either the weird energy dip in the hour after you finish your show, or it’s having to shower off the hairspray and makeup every night. I can’t choose. 

In one sentence why should someone come to see your show?

Sad Girl Songs transforms some of the hardest truths about surviving trauma and misogyny into something surprisingly hilarious and deeply cathartic, proving that we can face the darkness together and find our way to the light. I sing a ragtime number about the clitoris. 

Name one other show that you plan on seeing at the Fringe?

I’m really looking forward to “A Brief History of Neurodivergence” by Fiona Moon. We connected through the Disability Arts Online interview process and her perspective on  accessibility is brilliant. It was one of those conversations where I left thinking, “I definitely have to see what this person is creating.” She’s performing August 4-10 at C Alto Studios, and I think her work will pair beautifully with the conversations I’m hoping to start with my show.

Gwen Coburn 

(she/her)

Comedian, Writer, Performer.

https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/sad-girl-songs

https://edinburghfestival.datathistle.com/event/2697001-sad-girl-songs/