Would you mind giving us an insight into what your show/event/performance is?
The Woman in the Mirror is an uplifting dark comedy about a daughter navigating the long goodbye of Alzheimer’s while trying to hold onto her sense of humor, sanity, and wine glass. It’s based on my experience caring for my mother and adapted from my best-selling book Surviving Alzheimer’s with Friends, Facebook, and a Really Big Glass of Wine.
People see the word “Alzheimer’s” and expect a depressing hour. What they get is laughter, recognition, heartbreak, hope, and the realization that the most difficult journeys can still be filled with absurdly funny moments. It’s a love letter to caregivers, families, and anyone who has ever loved someone through something impossible.
Tell us about the creative team and the process involved?
The play has been a process, originally more like a TED Talk. About 140 rewrites later (y’all didn’t tell me about this part of theatre), I invited Laura Stearns who directed the play in early 2024 in Palm Springs CA to collaborate with me on a true theatrical production. Laura has the rare gift of helping me turn real life into theatre without letting me wander off into a twenty-minute story about something that happened in 1987.
The process began with my memoir and years of caregiving experiences. We spent countless hours asking, “What serves the audience?” rather than “What happened next?” That’s harder than it sounds when you’re writing about your own life.
The result is a two-person play that feels intimate, funny, and surprisingly universal. We have an incredible cast, an amazing UK producer, and a team that has been gently convincing a former rock radio personality that theatre people actually do things differently.
How does it feel coming to (back to) the Fringe?
This is my first Fringe, which means I alternate hourly between excitement and wondering if I’ve completely lost my mind.
I’m 66 years old. Most people my age are downsizing closets and discussing retirement. I’m taking my first play to the largest arts festival in the world and spending my summer rehearsing in a garage in Palm Springs.
Honestly, it feels exhilarating. Fringe represents possibility. Every artist who has ever dreamed of a bigger stage knows Edinburgh is one of the few places where lightning can still strike.
Note: My co-star Rebecca McWilliams and I will both be celebrating our birthdays during Fringe on August 11th and will be accepting wine after.
With shows from all over the world at the Fringe, what sets yours apart?
There are plenty of shows that make audiences laugh. Plenty that make them cry. Plenty that tell deeply personal stories.
What makes The Woman in the Mirror unique is that it does all three in the same hour, many times over.
The story is deeply specific, yet almost everyone recognizes someone they love in it. Caregivers feel seen. Adult children feel understood. Friends suddenly understand what their caregiving friends have been carrying.
And unlike many shows about illness, audiences don’t leave feeling devastated. They leave feeling lighter.
On that, is there anything in the production or production team’s backgrounds which influences the way the show is performed or told?
Absolutely.
Before theatre, I spent decades in rock radio interviewing everyone from Ozzy Osbourne to Mick Jagger. Radio teaches you something important: nobody cares about you until they see themselves in the story.
That lesson shaped this play. It’s never about me. It’s about the audience recognizing their own families, fears, frustrations, and love.
Laura brings years of theatre experience and a deep understanding of character and storytelling. Together we’ve tried to create something that feels less like a lecture and more like being in the kitchen with friends sharing stories over coffee—or wine.
And both of us lost our mothers to Alzheimer’s.
Is there anything specific you’re hoping the audience will take away?
I hope they laugh harder than they expected.
I hope they call someone they love.
I hope caregivers feel less alone.
And I hope people who have never been caregivers leave with a better understanding of what millions of families experience every day.
If they walk out feeling a little more compassionate and a little more grateful for the messy, beautiful people in their lives, I’ll consider that a win.
Your Ideal audience is in attendance, who’s watching? Or more importantly – who isn’t…?
My ideal audience ranges from twenty-somethings to ninety-somethings. Caregivers. Former caregivers. Future caregivers who don’t know it yet. Theatre lovers. People who swear they don’t like theatre. People who accidentally bought tickets because they thought it was a wine tasting.
The only people who probably won’t enjoy it are those who believe life should always be tidy, predictable, and make perfect sense. And, that we shouldn’t laugh at tragedy.
This show argues the exact opposite.
Also, one of my sons is coming and will see it for the first. This is a story about his beloved grandmother. I will do my best not to see him in the audience. This may be the hardest performance I will have ever done.
It’s an intense month, so where you’re able, how do you plan to relax, and are there any other shows you intend to see or want to recommend?
I suspect “relax” may be an optimistic word during Fringe.
My current plan involves walking Edinburgh, finding good coffee, staring at Edinburgh Castle whenever I feel overwhelmed, and reminding myself that bringing a show here was my idea.
I’m looking forward to seeing as much theatre, comedy, and storytelling as humanly possible. One of the joys of Fringe is discovering artists you’ve never heard of who completely blow you away.
And if all else fails, I’ll be the sleep-deprived American wandering around asking where to find a Highland cow and wondering if getting my first tattoo at 66 is really such a bad idea.
The Woman in the Box runs at Venue 82, Studio at ZOO Southside
Runs: 7th -30th August at 15:15pm
Photo credit – Mandee Johnson
Interested in being featured on our Have a Gander page? With many previews and Q&As lined up, we’re always happy to chat about including your show in future articles. Please do get in touch through the contact page to feature in an upcoming ‘Have A Gander’