Edinburgh Fringe Chats (#74): Patrick McPherson, SCATTER

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 Patrick McPherson to chat more about their show, Scatter.

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

Scatter is a brand new horror play. I sat in a fringe pub garden in 2023 and realised that horror was a mostly unexplored genre within the fringe, so I got to work coming up with something fresh and spooky. In the show, a man is scattering his father's ashes, when a horrifying family legacy begins to reveal itself. And from there it just gets stranger...

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

I've been developing this piece for two years and now I think it's time to roadtest it. See if it's creepy enough. And my comedy show, Pear, is also doing a show about fear, so they work hand in hand. 

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

Scary. Tense. Disturbing. 

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

Any horror I've seen at the fringe has been psychological horror, which I love, but I've always wanted to watch something where I walk out after with a profound sense of relief that I can escape the dread and shock of a story. So hopefully that! 

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

Military grade earplugs and a sleep mask so you can become nocturnal and sleep til maybe 2pm daily. Then the night is your oyster. 

06. Where and when can people see your show?

Underbelly Cowgate, Iron Belly, 340pm, the whole fringe. 

READ MORE FROM THE FRINGE..