Edinburgh Fringe Chats (#154): Olivia Race, THE UNCRACKABLE CASE
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 Olivia Race to find out more about their show, The Uncrackable Case.
1. Can you begin by telling us about your show and what inspired it?
The Uncrackable Case is a courtroom musical about the murder of Humpty Dumpty. It began over coffee in Oldham, when Jamie (the co-creator and writer) decided we needed to make something FUN. From that spark, the idea grew.
The show is a joyful, nostalgic romp through the world of fairy-tale characters – where we imagine how those characters might live in the 21st century. The show is set in a land where humans and animals live side by side, Humpty Dumpty is a stylish egg-fluencer with a devoted following on ChikTok – until he takes a great fall no one saw coming. At the start of the show, the audience meet Jill, of Jack and Jill fame – she’s a budding filmmaker with a serious problem: she’s on trial for eggicide.
We’ve created a script with a sharp sense of humour, and we had so much fun imagining how various fairy-tale characters might connect to the trial and the world we established. But the show also digs into our modern obsession with true crime, the spread of fake news, and how quickly we leap to judge without knowing the full story. It’s fun, hilarious and surprisingly relevant.
2. What made you want to bring this work to the Fringe this year?
The Fringe is such a vibrant, inspiring space to for new work, and we wanted to be part of it. We really believe this show will delight Fringe audiences – it’s joyful, funny, and exactly the kind of escape people need right now.
We’ve been fortunate enough to receive two rounds of Arts Council funding to develop the show, working with nearly 100 community co-creation participants and an incredible, diverse team of Northern creatives. Sharing the show through work-in-progress performances has confirmed its wide appeal and its power to make people of all ages laugh.
3. How would you describe your show in three words?
Joyful, Witty and Surprising
4. What do you hope audiences take away from watching your performance?
We want our audiences to have a brilliant time – to laugh, be entertained and leave humming our songs. We also hope they reflect on the world a little, and maybe even see parts of themselves in some of our characters.
5. What’s your top tip for surviving the Fringe?
Be ready for every kind of weather Scotland can throw at you! I love imagining myself sipping a G&T in the Pleasance Courtyard after another sold-out show—but let’s be real, that’s not always the reality. I’ll have my jumpers, waterproofs, and flyers ready.
Most importantly, I’m lucky to be part of a brilliant team. Surrounding yourself with talented, positive people is key to surviving the Fringe. Look out for each other, champion the amazing shows you see, and remember we’re all here to help this industry thrive.
6. Where and when can people see your show?
You can catch The Uncrackable Case at 1:30pm in Pleasance Two at Pleasance Courtyard, every day from 30th July to 25th August (except 11th August).
INSTAGRAM: @uncrackablemusical
SHOW LINK: https://www.pleasance.co.uk/event/uncrackable-case
READ MORE FROM THE FRINGE..
