Georgia Polly-Taylor: "Very Hot. Very Messy" previews at The Glitch ahead of Edinburgh Fringe

Georgia Polly-Taylor: “Very Hot. Very Messy” previews at The Glitch ahead of Edinburgh Fringe

Peter Anderson
July 23, 2026

Triumphantly bizarre...sure-fire hit at Edinburgh this year’ ★★★★★ (90/100) Reviews Hub

‘We find wannabe socialite-model ‘Hot Mess’ at her first ever MET Gala where poses are struck, bowels are loose and dreams are flushed faster than you can say nepotism.’

Beauty, fame, and public shame are all explored in the debut Edinburgh Fringe show, Georgia Polly-Taylor: Very Hot. Very Messy. This alternative character-comedy comes from Ettie award-winning newcomers hustling to keep the experimental Fringe spirit alive in 2026. Part absurd clown, part catwalk diva: Georgia Polly-Taylor’s (Random Acts of Heroic Love (R&D) Improbable TC, NewsRevue at Canal Cafe Theatre) uniquely eccentric character celebrates the often disastrous reality of being human.

This one-woman spectacle started as an eight minute cabaret act, taking unfiltered inspiration from Polly-Taylor’s experience living with chronic illness. After an overwhelmingly positive audience reaction, the show gained attention from programmers and was developed into a full hour of comedic carnage through collaboration with Director/ Producer, Nancy Hannigan (Our Mother’s Daughters at Redbridge Drama Centre, Silver Showgirls at Greenman Festival).

Polly-Taylor’s eclectic talents fuse satirical comedy with her neo-circus skillset – resulting in an on-stage identity akin to an hallucinogenic Victoria Wood. Her work finds humour in what it means to be a woman in the public eye, dancing with the dissonant duality of perfection and authenticity. About the process of preparing for the Fringe Georgia Polly-Taylor says, ‘The toilet used in our set was rescued by my dad from a building site – it feels like we’ve come a long way since then. I’ve been blown away by the support from our creative community as we’ve navigated this wildly exciting process.’

Director Nancy Hannigan said, ‘Creating this show has been a joyful process of taking daftness seriously and misbehaving until we belly-laugh. Georgia is a formidable clown, she playfully satirises the grotesqueness of performed femininity with flair.’ The Show previews at The Glitch on Friday 24th July, which is run by the same people who ran the Vault Festival. Ahead of Georgia’s debut at Edinburgh Fringe, I will add details of a lovely interview I had with her.