In our ongoing Edinburgh Fringe 2026 interview series, we are speaking to artists and creatives who are bringing their shows to the Scottish capital this summer.
In this interview, we speak with Kate Danley to learn more about their show Madam(e) Lou.
What can you tell me about your show?
Madam(e) Lou is a humorous slideshow about the ten years I spent solving the mystery of one of the most powerful, and subsequently erased, women in America, Madam Lou Graham.
Madam(e) Lou is a humorous slideshow about the ten years I spent solving the mystery of one of the most powerful, and subsequently erased, women in America, Madam Lou Graham.
She was an advocate for women’s empowerment, financial independence, immigrant rights, and criminal justice. If you step on a sidewalk in old Seattle, it exists because of her. But because of her trade, her contributions to Seattle’s existence were wiped from the records by a conservative wave during the turn of the last century.
And today, if you google her, 95% of what you’ll find is flat out made up. So, I’ve been crawling through dusty archives to find her truth (and I have the documents to prove it!)
How would you describe the style of your show to anyone who has never seen you before?
It’s like You’re Dead to Me or Horrible Histories, except with pictures! And maps! It has been described as a live podcast with PowerPoint. It is the solving of a mystery, and the discovery of a remarkable life.
It’s like You’re Dead to Me or Horrible Histories, except with pictures! And maps! It has been described as a live podcast with PowerPoint. It is the solving of a mystery, and the discovery of a remarkable life.
What was the lightbulb moment that led to the creation of this piece?
I went on a tour of Seattle’s Underground (we have a city underneath our sidewalks) and heard this story about Lou Graham and her “seamstresses” (totally a euphemism.) I thought she would make a great subject for a musical. But as I started my research, nothing matched up. Everything I found led to more questions. It was the start of a ten-year rabbit hole. And on the other side, I realized enough had been fictionalized about her. I wanted to present the facts, because they are so crazy, no one could make it up.
I went on a tour of Seattle’s Underground (we have a city underneath our sidewalks) and heard this story about Lou Graham and her “seamstresses” (totally a euphemism.) I thought she would make a great subject for a musical. But as I started my research, nothing matched up. Everything I found led to more questions. It was the start of a ten-year rabbit hole. And on the other side, I realized enough had been fictionalized about her. I wanted to present the facts, because they are so crazy, no one could make it up.
What makes 2026 the perfect year for this specific story or performance?
For those unaware (HA!), things are kind of terrible in the US right now. As my country enacts horrific, dehumanizing policies against immigrants, case law involving Lou Graham (an immigrant, herself) is providing one of the entirely-too-few legal defences for immigrants today. As I did my research, I discovered that while history is repeating, the solutions are there, too.
For those unaware (HA!), things are kind of terrible in the US right now. As my country enacts horrific, dehumanizing policies against immigrants, case law involving Lou Graham (an immigrant, herself) is providing one of the entirely-too-few legal defences for immigrants today. As I did my research, I discovered that while history is repeating, the solutions are there, too.
How will you mentally and physically prepare for a run at the Fringe?
I heard that nothing can prepare a person for the hills of Edinburgh, so I’ve been strapping on my trainers and scaling Seattle’s Spring Street on my lunch break, which features a 10% gradient. We’ll see if it is enough or if I’ll be gasping for help ‘neath the shadows of Edinburgh Castle.
If you couldn’t use a flyer to attract audiences, what ridiculous object would you hand out to people to get them into your show?
I’d hand out an old timey, music hall piano player to everyone. They’d follow you around, pushing their upright piano until you paused, and then they would break out into a rousing rendition of A Hot Time in the Old Town.
I’d hand out an old timey, music hall piano player to everyone. They’d follow you around, pushing their upright piano until you paused, and then they would break out into a rousing rendition of A Hot Time in the Old Town.
What is the one item in your Fringe Survival Kit that you can’t live without this month?
Does an M&S Colin the Caterpillar cake fit into a Fringe Survival Kit?
Does an M&S Colin the Caterpillar cake fit into a Fringe Survival Kit?
What would you deem as success at the end of the Fringe?
A kilted Laird sees my flyer, and it turns out I’m his lost true love that he has travelled through time and dimension to find. He whisks me off to his castle in the Highlands where we live happily ever after with his space dog, a border collie named Julie, and ginger cat, Max, and every wedding guest is given their own Colin the Caterpillar cake at our reception. Two for me.
Other than your own show, are there any other shows you would recommend at the Fringe this year?
SO many! Smut by Bryn Woz; Midsummer by CMU; Hold onto Your Butts; Tim Kenneth Kicks the Bucket; and anything produced by Estelle Homerstone. That woman is brilliant.
SO many! Smut by Bryn Woz; Midsummer by CMU; Hold onto Your Butts; Tim Kenneth Kicks the Bucket; and anything produced by Estelle Homerstone. That woman is brilliant.
What is one Edinburgh spot that you would recommend people to visit when they're not watching performances?
The M&S cake aisle. Bring me back a Colin.
Can you describe the show in 5 words?
Hysterical histories and hidden powerhouses
Hysterical histories and hidden powerhouses
What keeps you inspired?
Other artists’ genius. It triggers something inside of me that wants to be good enough to play alongside their minds. That and BBC Radio 4 Extra. But they made it difficult to get here in the states, so I’m afraid I may never be inspired again. Please send cake. Preferably shaped like a caterpillar.
Other artists’ genius. It triggers something inside of me that wants to be good enough to play alongside their minds. That and BBC Radio 4 Extra. But they made it difficult to get here in the states, so I’m afraid I may never be inspired again. Please send cake. Preferably shaped like a caterpillar.
What would you hope someone takes away from seeing the show?
Lou was remarkable, but there are incredible lives that have been silenced and ignored in every city. I hope to inspire folks to dig around the histories in their hometowns and find ways to bring the stories they find to life.
Lou was remarkable, but there are incredible lives that have been silenced and ignored in every city. I hope to inspire folks to dig around the histories in their hometowns and find ways to bring the stories they find to life.
When and where can people see the show?
August 17 - 30, 2026 (no show August 23) at 8:15 PM
August 17 - 30, 2026 (no show August 23) at 8:15 PM
Paradise Green, 11 Merchant St, Edinburgh EH1 2QD
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