Jennifer Irons' BAD IMMIGRANT Overcomes Crisis To Continue Edinburgh Fringe Run
Jennifer Irons’ roller-skating solo show is running at Assembly George Square Studio 2 through August 24.
Performer Jennifer Irons nearly lost her run of Bad Immigrant at the Edinburgh Fringe after severe health and safety issues made her opening performance dangerous. The show, performed entirely on roller skates, was saved thanks to the efforts of the Edinburgh roller skating community, Murrayfield Arena, Assembly venue staff, and dozens of volunteers who rallied to help.
During the opening performance on August 18, Irons discovered that the temporary stage surface at Assembly George Square Studio 2 was chipped and peeling, making it unsafe for small skate wheels. She fell multiple times within minutes of starting the show and later realized she had sustained cuts to her leg. “To compound the issue the stage is four feet high,” she explained, “giving me a real fear of the consequences of actually falling over the edge.”
With the Tuesday performance canceled, Irons reached out to local skaters including Shannon Cook of Edi Roller Dancers, who connected her with Murrayfield Arena. The arena had just removed its summer hockey floor, and staff arranged for the flooring to be loaned for free. Irons and her family transported 25 pieces of roller skate flooring across the city, with Assembly technicians and other Fringe artists volunteering late at night to lay it down. “In all around 23 people offered incredibly kind help of some sort,” Irons said. “All without fee and proving that the spirit of the Fringe is alive and well in 2025.”
Bad Immigrant resumed performances on August 20 and continues daily at 3:35 p.m. until August 24 at Assembly George Square Studio 2. The piece blends roller disco, absurdist theatre, and comedy to explore themes of immigration, belonging, colonialism, and identity.
The crisis has also brought new attention to Skates4Mates, a grassroots project Irons founded during research for the show to provide skating opportunities and foster community for people seeking sanctuary and local residents. Donations to the initiative have more than doubled during the run.
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