EDINBURGH 2026: MY GRANDPA DOESN'T FOLLOW ME ON INSTAGRAM Q&A
My Grandpa Doesn't Follow Me On Instagram runs at Edfringe from 5 - 30 August
BWW catches up with Yoz Mensch to chat about bringing My Grandpa Doesn't Follow Me On Instagram to the 2026 Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
Tell us a bit about My Grandpa Doesn't Follow Me On Instagram
A closeted trans-woman road trips from Cornwall to The Highlands with her 80yr old grandfather on the search for Joy*.
*her late grandmother's ashes. But also queer joy. It's a motif.
It's an autobiographical one-woman theatre comedy that's been labelled "tender", "haunting" and "hilarious" - amongst other things!
What are the challenges with playing all of the roles?
The biggest challenge is not having anyone to blame when a line gets dropped other than sweet little blameless me - it's very confusing. An exciting challenge is the quick fire conversation between three dynamic characters, which finds me switching rapidly between accents, physical affect, and character intention; an exhilarating workout.
Why did you want to tell this story?
Because it was time and I was the best person to do it, even if I was scared at the beginning - especially so. I felt the urge to make something radically sincere, in comparison to my body of work. I had a unique opportunity to create a duet between the past me, who knew what lay ahead but was yet unchanged, and the present me that is changed and changing.
Audiences are hungry for cathartic queer narratives. The world feels so harsh right now. I found comfort in queer texts and I hoped this show could be that for someone else.
How has it been received so far?
I made a magic wish on New Years and it's cashing out. For a debut season I was stunned by the immediate reaction and groundswell of support I received in Adelaide. People embraced me way more than I expected - audiences literally held me in their arms and cried tears of joy as they sold out my shows!
One matinee got booked up by a seniors group. At the end, as they filtered out, all but two of them hugged me with a tear in their eye and a kind word. Throughout the season, countless sweethearts shared their lives with me after each performance. This show evolved overnight from a personal story to a community experience - I feel so lucky.
What would you like audiences to take away from it?
An invitation to curate moments of joy in their lives for themselves, not to post on the gram not to appeal to other people, but something that they keep just for themselves. And an intense desire to continue seeing small productions and solo shows. Maybe some merch.
Photo by Daniel Marks
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