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 Paul Shearman about his show The Last Audition.
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| Photo by Eric Moore. |
What can you tell me about your show?
The Last Audition is a one-man play about an aging Shakespearean actor, Sebastian Drake, who gets one final chance to prove he still belongs on stage: an audition for King Lear. But pretty quickly, it becomes clear that this isn’t really just about an audition. It’s about memory starting to slip, identity starting to shift, and the fear that the words he has built his life on might not be there when he needs them.
At its heart, it’s about what happens when the roles we’ve lived inside begin to fall away. And you start asking, who am I without all of that?
It touches on dementia and memory loss, but I never wanted it to feel bleak. Sebastian is funny, vain, stubborn, a bit of a mess, really, and very human. There’s humour in it because that’s what people do in life, even in the hardest moments.
For me, it really comes down to courage. Just… showing up again, even when you’re not sure what you’ve got left.
Where did the inspiration for this piece come from?
It started quite personally. My father and grandfather both had memory issues, so that fear was already there in the background for me. But the thing that really stayed with me was a close friend whose mother is living with dementia, and seeing her become the caregiver. That opened something up, not just about the person losing memory, but everyone around them trying to hold things together.
It started quite personally. My father and grandfather both had memory issues, so that fear was already there in the background for me. But the thing that really stayed with me was a close friend whose mother is living with dementia, and seeing her become the caregiver. That opened something up, not just about the person losing memory, but everyone around them trying to hold things together.
From there, I started thinking: what if someone like Sir Laurence Olivier faced that? Someone whose whole life is built on language and memory and performance, what happens then?
I grew up with Shakespeare around me. Books in the house, classics being read and talked about. So it felt very natural that Sebastian would live inside that world, too. For him, language isn’t decoration, it’s everything. So losing it becomes devastating in a very specific way.
At first, I thought Hamlet, but pretty quickly, Lear made more sense. There’s just something about that role, age, power, family, loss, all of it colliding.
And I suppose as an older actor myself, there’s also something personal in the fear of memory, and the fear of becoming invisible in a world that always wants what’s new.
Humour was there from the start. It had to be.
And touring has changed it too; hearing people’s stories of dementia and caregiving has been… very moving. I feel quite trusted with those stories, actually. That stays with me.
How have you approached developing the show?
It came from two places, really, the emotional idea and the structure.
It came from two places, really, the emotional idea and the structure.
Emotionally, it was memory, ageing, language, dementia, and caregiving. all of that. But I knew that wasn’t enough on its own.
That’s where the audition came in. Sebastian is preparing for one last chance to play King Lear, and that gives everything stakes. He’s fighting to prove something… but also fighting something much more internal at the same time.
The main challenge has been precision. The play is about fragmentation, but the structure can’t be fragmented. It has to feel carefully built, so the audience can follow even when Sebastian can’t.
And because it’s a solo show, a lot of the development has come through actually performing it. You find where people lean in, where they go quiet, where they laugh unexpectedly. Touring in Beijing, Adelaide, New York, and Montreal has all shaped it massively.
And because it’s a solo show, a lot of the development has come through actually performing it. You find where people lean in, where they go quiet, where they laugh unexpectedly. Touring in Beijing, Adelaide, New York, and Montreal has all shaped it massively.
It’s been a process of writing, cutting, listening, and slowly trusting the piece more.
How would you describe the style of the show?
It’s intimate and very actor-led. It’s a solo show, but it’s not just storytelling. It’s performance as character, memory, audition, breakdown, comedy, all of it happening almost at once.
It’s intimate and very actor-led. It’s a solo show, but it’s not just storytelling. It’s performance as character, memory, audition, breakdown, comedy, all of it happening almost at once.
It moves between present-day audition, fragments of memory, Shakespeare text, and direct address. But it always comes from Sebastian’s mind, so it has that slightly heightened theatrical feel, because that’s how he sees the world.
At the same time, it’s very stripped back. No big set, no distraction. Just the actor, the language, and the audience.
So I’d say it’s a funny, moving solo performance… part audition, part memory play, part love letter to theatre, and part reckoning with what happens when the roles start to fall away.
Can you describe the show in 3 words?
Witty. Vulnerable. Theatrical.
Witty. Vulnerable. Theatrical.
How do you mentally and physically prepare for a run like the Fringe?
It’s really about stamina more than anything else. A solo show at the Fringe means you have to be completely on every night, there’s nowhere to hide.
It’s really about stamina more than anything else. A solo show at the Fringe means you have to be completely on every night, there’s nowhere to hide.
Physically, I keep things simple: sleep, hydration, walking, warming up properly, and trying not to burn out too early in the run. The temptation at the Fringe is to do everything, see everything, meet everyone, but the show has to come first.
Mentally, I go back to the structure of the piece. Because it deals with memory and fragmentation, I need to know the architecture very clearly. That gives me freedom inside it.
And then there’s the audience, every room is slightly different, so part of the preparation is just staying open and responsive.
Emotionally, I keep coming back to why I’m doing it. Especially the people whose stories of dementia and caregiving have informed the work. That keeps it grounded.
Away from your show, what are you most looking forward to about being in Edinburgh?
Last year I came to Edinburgh during the Fringe for the first time, and I was completely swept up in it. The chaos, the energy, the posters everywhere, people handing out flyers, shows starting and ending in every direction- it felt like the whole city was in performance mode.
Last year I came to Edinburgh during the Fringe for the first time, and I was completely swept up in it. The chaos, the energy, the posters everywhere, people handing out flyers, shows starting and ending in every direction- it felt like the whole city was in performance mode.
I remember thinking, very clearly, “Next year I’m going to be here performing.” And now I am, which is slightly surreal in a good way.
This year, I’m just excited to be inside it properly. Seeing other shows, wandering the city, getting a bit lost in it all, and just being part of that creative chaos. There’s something quite special about being surrounded by so many people taking risks with their work.
What is one hidden gem in Edinburgh that everyone should visit?
Dunbar’s Close Garden. It’s just off the Royal Mile.
During the Fringe, Edinburgh can feel completely full-on, noise, crowds, energy everywhere, and then you turn a corner, and suddenly you’re in this quiet little garden that feels like it belongs to another world.
I like that contrast. It’s a proper pause in the middle of everything.
Are there any other shows at the Fringe you’d like to recommend?
There are so many shows at the Fringe it’s impossible to pick properly, but one I’d definitely recommend is An Ode to the Casting Director. My friend and fellow actor is in it. I saw it last year and really loved it.
There are so many shows at the Fringe it’s impossible to pick properly, but one I’d definitely recommend is An Ode to the Casting Director. My friend and fellow actor is in it. I saw it last year and really loved it.
It’s funny, sharp, very recognisable if you’ve spent any time in the acting world, but also very accessible beyond that. It captures that mix of hope, rejection, humour, and resilience that comes with trying to do anything creative, really.
And honestly, part of the Fringe for me is just those personal recommendations, shows you discover through people you trust.
What was the first piece of theatre you saw that had a big impact on you?
It was The Taming of the Shrew when I was in high school.
It was The Taming of the Shrew when I was in high school.
We were reading Shakespeare in class, and I remember thinking… I don’t get the fuss. It felt quite distant on the page.
Then we saw it performed, and it just completely came alive. Suddenly, it wasn’t dusty or academic at all. It was funny, alive, physical, a bit dangerous even.
I just remember thinking, “Oh. This is what it is.”
And that was it. I was hooked.
What do you hope an audience member takes away from seeing the show?
I hope people leave feeling they’ve spent time with someone very human, funny, flawed, proud, vulnerable, all of it.
I hope people leave feeling they’ve spent time with someone very human, funny, flawed, proud, vulnerable, all of it.
I don’t want it to land as just a sad piece about memory loss. I hope there’s tenderness in it. And maybe people think about their own lives, the people they love, the roles they’ve played, and what’s underneath all of that.
If someone has lived through dementia or caregiving, I hope they feel seen.
Where and when can people see your show?
The Last Audition is performed at theSpace on the Mile, which is within the Radisson Blu Hotel on the Royal Mile. Performances are at 7:25 pm each evening from the 7th to the 29th (excluding the 16th and 23rd). Ticket information here: https://www.thespaceuk.com/shows/2026/the-last-audition
The Last Audition is performed at theSpace on the Mile, which is within the Radisson Blu Hotel on the Royal Mile. Performances are at 7:25 pm each evening from the 7th to the 29th (excluding the 16th and 23rd). Ticket information here: https://www.thespaceuk.com/shows/2026/the-last-audition
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| Photo by Eric Moore |
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