Annmarie Cullen brings a deeply personal and powerfully resonant story to the Edinburgh Fringe with Remember That Time? A Musical. Known for her work as a songwriter for Disney and Warner Chappell, Cullen now steps into the spotlight with a one-person show that blends music, multimedia, and raw emotion.
The musical follows a 40-something musician navigating heartbreak, identity loss, and rediscovery after leaving a successful career in Los Angeles. With humour, heart, and the support of two virtual friends, Cullen’s journey is one of resilience and reinvention.
Remember That Time? A Musical runs from August 1–23, 2025 at theSpace @ Surgeons’ Hall, Theatre 2. Tickets are available here.
You’re starring in Remember That Time? A Musical at theSpace @ Surgeons’ Hall – what can you tell us about the show?
It’s an award-winning one-woman musical about loss, change and resilience. Despite the heavy themes, it’s quite lighthearted and uplifting. Even if musicals aren’t usually your thing, I promise you, it’s not a “jazz hands” affair.
The story is relatable and interspersed with memorable songs. It’s a 50 minute show with lots of variety. You’ll laugh, maybe cry, and hopefully get a song stuck in your head.
The show also incorporates mixed media, with on-screen cameos from my brilliant co-stars Gearóid Farrelly and Naimee Coleman.
This is your first original musical after a successful career in LA – what inspired you to tell this story now?
Honestly? Trauma (laughs). I’ve been lucky to have a career with lots of highlights, including writing songs for TV and film and being in an indie band. However, over time, the grind wore me down and I lost my spark for it. I moved to Barcelona with my then-wife and took a steady tech job for financial security, but it sucked the life out of me and I stopped creating.
My marriage ended, so I returned to Dublin after 25 years away feeling completely lost. No job, no direction, single, and staring down at turning 50. I returned to songwriting to help me process it all, and that led me to writing this show and getting back to my roots and sense of self. While it’s based on my own story, the themes seem to resonate with people of all ages and backgrounds.
The show blends live performance with onscreen characters – how did you develop this unique format?
Thank you. I knew I wanted to include two on-screen characters to bring extra texture and variety to the story, but having them appear live every night wasn’t logistically possible. To solve that, I had the idea for them to appear via mocked-up “Zoom calls”. It’s worked out really well, and audiences seem to enjoy the twist.
Gearóid and Naimee are great friends and hugely talented. Gearóid’s an outstanding comedian with a brilliant singing voice, and Naimee is one of my all-time favourite singer-songwriters. I really wanted them involved, and this format allowed me to “cheat” a little and have them with me every night.
How did your experiences in Los Angeles and Barcelona shape the themes of identity and resilience in the musical?
LA taught me a lot about perseverance, ambition, and how to navigate both success and rejection. I worked hard and was fortunate to have great opportunities, including writing songs for Disney.
It took me a while to realise that what truly nourished me wasn’t success or career highlights, it was the act of creating and being around people with the same passion.
Stepping away from music showed me how easy it is to lose your sense of self without even noticing. That experience shaped the show’s themes of resilience, reconnecting with who you are, and finding your way back to what matters.
You’ve worked with some big names in music and TV – how does performing your own story on stage compare?
Performing my own story feels more vulnerable but also incredibly rewarding. It’s a different kind of connection with an audience. I’m not hiding behind a band or writing for someone else’s project, it’s just me sharing my personal story (and universal experience) in my own words. That’s both terrifying and brilliant in equal measure.
I’m fortunate that some of my incredibly talented friends have collaborated on some of the songs, including Lucy Schwartz (“Shrek”, “Twilight”), Mundy (“Romeo & Juliet” Soundtrack), Emmy-nominated songwriter Jeannie Lurie, and Gearoid & Naimee.
What would you say to anyone thinking of booking to see Remember That Time? A Musical?
Please do! Here are my top three reasons why:
- It’s moving, relatable and uplifting.
- It blends storytelling, mixed media, songs and humour in a way that’s a little different.
- In 50 minutes, I’ll take you on a trip to LA, Barcelona and Dublin. Way faster and cheaper than a plane ticket.
It’s on at 12:45pm, so you can go for brunch before or lunch afterwards.
And who knows… it might even change your life (she says only half tongue-in-cheek).
