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 Nadia P. Manzoor about their show Jerk Off!
What can you tell me about your show?
Jerk Off! is the sequel to my first one-woman show, Burq Off! That show ended when my mother dies at 42 to cancer and my family is destroyed, splintered across the time-space continuum, which leads me to Boston, to a hip-hop class, where I meet the man of my dreams… or so it seems. As I perform the show today — the one that’s been performed many times before — something deeper starts to unravel, a thread I can no longer ignore. What starts as a well-rehearsed story about surviving an abusive relationship with a hip-hop dancer in my twenties becomes a story that starts to crack. What begins as a familiar victim narrative spirals into something messier, funnier, and much harder to control. It’s a show about grief, desire, family, identity, motherhood, and the stories we tell ourselves in order to survive.
Jerk Off! is the sequel to my first one-woman show, Burq Off! That show ended when my mother dies at 42 to cancer and my family is destroyed, splintered across the time-space continuum, which leads me to Boston, to a hip-hop class, where I meet the man of my dreams… or so it seems. As I perform the show today — the one that’s been performed many times before — something deeper starts to unravel, a thread I can no longer ignore. What starts as a well-rehearsed story about surviving an abusive relationship with a hip-hop dancer in my twenties becomes a story that starts to crack. What begins as a familiar victim narrative spirals into something messier, funnier, and much harder to control. It’s a show about grief, desire, family, identity, motherhood, and the stories we tell ourselves in order to survive.
How would you describe the style of your show to anyone who has never seen you before?
It’s theatre disguised as stand-up disguised as a nervous breakdown. I come from comedy, character work, and solo performance, so the show moves between all three. There are multiple characters, direct audience address, storytelling, movement, and moments where it feels like everything is about to fall apart. My favorite kind of theatre sits right on the edge between comedy and catastrophe.
What was the lightbulb moment that led to the creation of this piece?
I had been in years of development with Amazon for my TV series Shugs & Fats, and I was feeling hopeless, as the project wasn’t receiving the support and championing it needed. I felt stuck with my creativity, and I decided to stop everything, give it all up, and just take space. I was pregnant with my second kid at the time, and getting ready for birth is such a deep act of surrender, so the timing worked. I said to myself: what’s next for me creatively will naturally emerge if it’s meant to. I put everything down without knowing what was next, and three months after giving birth to my sweet little baby, a voice started to emerge from within. It whispered, “Get back on stage.” And so I did. The content of Jerk Off! was given to me as the next section of the story I’m telling — part of a trilogy. Burq Off!, Jerk Off!, and then… drumroll… Fuq Off! That one’s in early works.
I had been in years of development with Amazon for my TV series Shugs & Fats, and I was feeling hopeless, as the project wasn’t receiving the support and championing it needed. I felt stuck with my creativity, and I decided to stop everything, give it all up, and just take space. I was pregnant with my second kid at the time, and getting ready for birth is such a deep act of surrender, so the timing worked. I said to myself: what’s next for me creatively will naturally emerge if it’s meant to. I put everything down without knowing what was next, and three months after giving birth to my sweet little baby, a voice started to emerge from within. It whispered, “Get back on stage.” And so I did. The content of Jerk Off! was given to me as the next section of the story I’m telling — part of a trilogy. Burq Off!, Jerk Off!, and then… drumroll… Fuq Off! That one’s in early works.
What makes 2026 the perfect year for this specific story or performance?
I’m the same age my mother was when she died. She was forty-two. I was twenty. I never thought I’d be doing mothering without her. It’s a strange thing to have found myself in. I long for her guidance, her support, her shoulder, her hands in my hair to comfort me when I lose it with my kids. I’ve had to navigate what it is to find myself a mam, while also connecting to my own pain and love with my mother. I see myself in her, and there are things I want to continue with my children, and there are things I have to stop with me. That’s ultimately what this show has become for me. It’s about embracing our inheritance — accepting what has come before us, and then being able to choose what lives on and what dies with us. Motherhood is beautiful, but it’s also relentless. It has forced me to confront parts of myself I would much rather avoid. For years I thought I was writing a show about a man. Instead I found myself writing a show about my mother, and about what gets passed down from one generation to the next. I don’t think I could have made this show at any other point in my life.
I’m the same age my mother was when she died. She was forty-two. I was twenty. I never thought I’d be doing mothering without her. It’s a strange thing to have found myself in. I long for her guidance, her support, her shoulder, her hands in my hair to comfort me when I lose it with my kids. I’ve had to navigate what it is to find myself a mam, while also connecting to my own pain and love with my mother. I see myself in her, and there are things I want to continue with my children, and there are things I have to stop with me. That’s ultimately what this show has become for me. It’s about embracing our inheritance — accepting what has come before us, and then being able to choose what lives on and what dies with us. Motherhood is beautiful, but it’s also relentless. It has forced me to confront parts of myself I would much rather avoid. For years I thought I was writing a show about a man. Instead I found myself writing a show about my mother, and about what gets passed down from one generation to the next. I don’t think I could have made this show at any other point in my life.
How will you mentally and physically prepare for a run at the Fringe?
I’ve never done anything like this before, with my family in tow. So I’m guessing self-care is going to be non-negotiable. I’ll see other shows, obviously, but I also have to protect my energy and make sure I have enough for my show, for my kids, and for myself. So: sleep, hydration, walks, shaking, nourishing.
I’ve never done anything like this before, with my family in tow. So I’m guessing self-care is going to be non-negotiable. I’ll see other shows, obviously, but I also have to protect my energy and make sure I have enough for my show, for my kids, and for myself. So: sleep, hydration, walks, shaking, nourishing.
All the simple things — but if they’re really taken care of, I’ll be good. Becoming a mother forces you to step up your self-care dramatically, so I’ve been doing that already for years. I’m also going to remember that with 24 shows, I can pace myself. I tend to give everything when I’m on stage — that’s my nature — but I also need to find energy distribution. I try to remember that the Fringe is a marathon, not a sprint. Although if history is anything to go by, I’ll spend the first week ignoring my own advice and rewriting the show at midnight.
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?
Tiny locked diaries. Inside each one would be a deeply embarrassing teenage confession. The audience would immediately understand several of the show’s themes. Oh, and lube. It is called Jerk Off!
What is the one item in your Fringe Survival Kit that you can’t live without this month?
Drugs. Can I say that? Jokes… a giant water bottle.
What would you deem as success at the end of the Fringe?
Making the show I set out to make. Theatre can tempt you to become the version of yourself you think audiences want. This show has been a long process of moving in the opposite direction. If I leave Edinburgh feeling that I told the truth, that would feel like success.
Making the show I set out to make. Theatre can tempt you to become the version of yourself you think audiences want. This show has been a long process of moving in the opposite direction. If I leave Edinburgh feeling that I told the truth, that would feel like success.
Other than your own show, are there any other shows you would recommend at the Fringe this year?
I’m always drawn to work that sits between forms — theatre that borrows from comedy, comedy that becomes theatre, work that uses movement, music or ritual in unexpected ways. Some of my favourite Fringe experiences have happened completely by accident. I’ll walk into a tiny room knowing nothing about the show and come out three hours later trying to convince everyone I know to see it. So my plan this year is to follow my curiosity and see as much bold, strange, ambitious work as possible.
I’m always drawn to work that sits between forms — theatre that borrows from comedy, comedy that becomes theatre, work that uses movement, music or ritual in unexpected ways. Some of my favourite Fringe experiences have happened completely by accident. I’ll walk into a tiny room knowing nothing about the show and come out three hours later trying to convince everyone I know to see it. So my plan this year is to follow my curiosity and see as much bold, strange, ambitious work as possible.
What is one Edinburgh spot that you would recommend people to visit when they’re not watching performances?
Edinburgh is stunning, and we discover something new every year.
Edinburgh is stunning, and we discover something new every year.
To avoid being banal and instead suggest mainstream spots, we recommend North Queensferry. Its retro atmosphere and sea views are unforgettable.
Can you describe the show in 5 words?
Acrobatics, music, rhythm, joy, amazement.
Acrobatics, music, rhythm, joy, amazement.
What keeps you inspired?
We've been doing acrobatics since we were little, when we'd hang out on the beach with our friends and try to do tricks and jumps. Before it became a job, it's a passion for us. I couldn't not do it. Inspiration comes from the feeling of well-being we feel when we do it. That's what drives us to improve and invent new ways to perform.
What would you hope someone takes away from seeing the show?
A big smile.
A big smile.
When and where can people see the show?
Our show will be performed daily from August 5th to 31st (except the 18th) at 5pm in the beautiful Underbelly McEwan Hall in Bristo Square.
Our show will be performed daily from August 5th to 31st (except the 18th) at 5pm in the beautiful Underbelly McEwan Hall in Bristo Square.
Tickets are available from https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/jerk-off
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| Photo by Murray Hall |
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