Broadway and television star Kate Skinner brings a deeply personal and hilariously poignant solo show to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2025. Help! I’m Trapped In A One-Woman Show, co-written with Mark Hampton, explores the unexpected twists of online dating at 70, following the loss of a life partner.
Skinner’s decades of stage and screen experience shine through in this moving piece, which blends humour and heartache with sharp insight. Directed by Michael Edwards, the show promises to resonate with audiences of all ages.
Performing at 10 Dome, Pleasance Dome from 14–25 August at 13:25pm. Tickets available here.
You’re starring in Help! I’m Trapped In A One-Woman Show at Pleasance Dome – what can you tell us about the show?
It is an exploration of what it is to try to restart your life after losing your partner in love and all that that entails—the good, the bad, the ugly—and the hilarious.
The show explores themes of love, loss, and online dating at 70 – how did your own experiences shape the storytelling?
Every story in this show is based on events and experiences I had—it’s 100% true to my own adventures and misadventures!
My writer, Mark Hampton, and I wanted it to be completely authentic while viewing the events with humour and compassion (hopefully).
You’ve worked extensively across Broadway, television, and film – how does performing at the Edinburgh Fringe compare?
Doing a solo show is brand new for me and honestly something I never thought of doing, so I am definitely out of my comfort zone!
And the Fringe is a place I was hoping someday to participate in, but I always thought it would be in a production I was involved with that got invited. Everyone says it is magical to be at the Fringe—someone told me there is fairy dust in the air!
What was it like collaborating with Mark Hampton on this piece, and how did the creative process evolve?
Mark and I had a long process of talking for hours on the phone, Zoom sessions, a week of intensive work in person at my house upstate New York, as well as me sending him voice memos of my dating experiences, which he would then transcribe and make stage-worthy.
When we got a first draft we liked, we did numerous sessions with the director, Michael Edwards, on the script. After our first public reading, we all convened and the second draft was born. After the performances at Bridge Street Theatre, we also did some rewrites based on what we had learned from that experience.
The show touches on grief and resilience with humour – how do you balance those emotional tones on stage?
I think we were very aware of trying to seamlessly move from the humour to the more emotional sections. That happened gradually as I worked on it alone and found the places where it flowed—and where it didn’t, we would examine and rewrite.
It is a delicate balance, and it was crucial that the script itself support me in moving from one moment to the next.
What would you say to anyone thinking of booking to see Help! I’m Trapped In A One-Woman Show?
I have been constantly and happily surprised by how many people find my very personal story relatable.
The humour and the emotions seem to strike a very deep chord in people, and I hope that continues to be true at the Fringe!
