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 Panos Kandunias about I Brought A Flip Phone.
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| Photo by Fred Wilkinson |
What can you tell me about your show?
It’s about a guy named Charlie who before his 27th birthday feels as though he’s spending too much time on his phone looking at other people’s lives instead of living his own. So he buys an old school flip phone to try and reduce his screentime and feel better but over the course of the hour the phone keeps going off and that’s when he reads out the texts he receives and you find out more about his life and what’s going on.
It’s about feeling like your life isn’t where you want it to be, raunchy texts from men and feeling overwhelmed by how much time you waste on your phone.
How would you describe the style of your show to anyone who has never seen you before?
It’s very funny but it’s also very heartfelt and tender too. People to tend to laugh aloud a lot during it and love the high energy, bubbly nature of the jokes and character but also find the ending quite sentimental and sometimes get a bit teary. Which is my favoruite kind of show. Something that makes you laugh a lot but that also has something that lingers with you emotionally after the show ends.
What was the lightbulb moment that led to the creation of this piece?
I wrote the first draft of it when I was bored at a dayjob and I wasn’t very busy in the afternoon, so I tapped down 8,000 words very quickly. They were really bad but I liked the idea. I didn’t come back to it until about a year and a bit after that and I think the lighbulb moment was when I was on about draft three or four of it and I wrote down the sequence of events on post it notes, and put them all out in front of me. I remember all the times the phone goes off where in one colour and I remember seeing them all in front of me and I thought ‘Oh I think this works’ and that felt exciting.
What makes 2026 the perfect year for this specific story or performance?
A lot of surveys show how common digital burnout is right now compared to even five years ago. So I think that people are starting to interrogate more, now that we’ve lived with these devices and apps a bit longer, how the hell they’re affecting us. I think it’s a really relevant thing to talk about right now but I don’t think any of us enjoy being lectured to about it. That’s why it’s really important for me for the show to be upbeat and funny, let’s all have a laugh about how ridiculous it is, shall we?
How will you mentally and physically prepare for a run at the Fringe?
Physically, by hydrating a lot and using a lot of Lockets Lozenges.
Mentally… by remembering to breathe and reminding myself that the only thing I can control is the show. The rest isn’t up to me. I hope audiences come. I hope reviewers come, I hope industry come but it’s not entirely in my control. The only thing I’m in control of is the show and I really love it so I’m holding onto that.
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?
If the budget was unlimited, Motorola RAZRs obviously.
What is the one item in your Fringe Survival Kit that you can’t live without this month?
One!? My list is growing by the second but I’d probably say Halls Lozenges. Performing every day, flyering, meeting new people… High priority is to protect my voice.
What would you deem as success at the end of the Fringe?
I think I’m trying to not think too much about that. I think it’s really easy to get lost in that and I fear it could ruin my enjoyment.
The main thing that I hope is people come and see the show. If there’s great turnout every day that will be a huge success. I’m so proud of this show and the way audiences have responded to it so far, so I’d love to just bring it to as many audiences as possible. That’s the point of making work isn’t it, to share it with people? So it would be a huge success if people come and enjoy it.
I’d also love to meet people who want to work on the next thing with me. That would be a HUGE success.
Other than your own show, are there any other shows you would recommend at the Fringe this year?
Absolutely. My incredible friend Tobias Graham is bringing his show Slugs and I can’t wait to see it. I’ve only read it so I can’t wait to be there at the first preview and see it come to life.
Grace O’Keefe’s show A to Z Guide Dating about her mum’s dating advice book in the 80s looks like so much fun. Really looking forward to seeing Katrina Bennett’s ‘Cruising’. Chuck N’ Jeck’s 123movies looks hysterical. I could go on!
What is one Edinburgh spot that you would recommend people to visit when they’re not watching performances?
Noodles Home. I don’t live in Edinburgh and I think of Noodles Home at least twice a month. I cannot wait to have the Biang Biang noodles there. They are insane.
Can you describe the show in five words?
Hilarious, gobby, heartfelt, honest and sentimental.
I’m unspeakably proud of it - that’s also five words.
What keeps you inspired?
My friends and family. Watching and reading new things. Alison Roman. Fiona Apple.
What would you hope someone takes away from seeing the show?
I hope that they feel like they had a lot of fun but also one of my favourite things people have said to me after seeing it is ‘that really made me want to call my mum/dad/best friend,’ and I hope it makes people want to connect a bit more. Also I hope we all put our phones down more.
When and where can people see the show?
Zoo, Playground 2, 15:35, 7-30th August.
Tickets are available from https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/i-bought-a-flip-phone
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