INTERVIEW: A Digital Pint with… Georgina Musgrave, on the Kink, Queer, and Cabaret of Wrestling

Lights up on Big Red as they leap into the ring for one last hurrah – though, it seems they’ve hung up the belt and traded the ropes for the deadliest cage match of all: a comedy set that’s a tad too drag for stand up. Barreling into the Edinburgh Fringe for one hell of a character comedy – we sat down for a pixelated pint with Georgina Musgrave, the mind behind Big Red’s madness, to unpack this firecracker character.

You can catch Big Red at ZOO Playground 3 from August 1st – 24th (not wednesdays) at 17:10 (60mins). Tickets available online through the EdFringe box office.

Callie: Hi Georgina! Your show grapples with lesbianism, mental illness, and a washed-up wrestling career with no-one left to top. Could you tell me a bit about what inspired the show and what the audience can expect?

Big Red: Georgina?! Who’s that? Sounds like a slag. I’m Big Red, the meanest wrestler in all of the greatest state of Australia: Queensland.

I’ve taken down every pathetic lil’ pipsqueak in the Queensland wrestling scene and so I needed the next challenge to be scarier, more dangerous, and a real threat to my sense of self: stand-up comedy. Come along to experience me be amazing at yet another thing – because I don’t miss.

I’m also tired of hearing from people that there’s not enough wrestling in the show. I’ve retired, people! But, sometimes the natural fighter in me does take over. So, you’ll just have to come along to see how much of my stand-up set I can get through before I put someone from the audience in a choke hold for slurping their beer too loudly. You’ve been warned…

Callie: Cheers Red, I’ll sip my iced tea quietly in the back. I’d love to diving drop into your process of developing the show – how did it all come together? And where does the wrestler stray from the writer?

Georgina: Sorry, Georgina’s here now. I put Big Red in a headlock and they should stay passed out for a little while. I’ll take it from here…

Big Red is definitely an alter-ego of sorts (it’s a kind of messy, gay, Jekyll and Hyde situation). They’re a character but are also embellished parts of myself which I don’t always get to indulge fully. They are a loud, gobby, oversharing, unapologetic fishwife from South London who, for some inexplicable reason, ended up in the Texas of Australia: Queensland.

Through Big Red, I get to lean into the parts of femininity that we are typically encouraged to hide: the opinionated, self-confident, horny, gross, ugly, and crude parts.

I’ve been assumed to be a drag king constantly out of drag when people find out what the performance is. I think as a cis woman and a lesbian that’s just what people expect from you. But, Big Red isn’t that, and not a queen either. Big Red is a sort of drag persona. The genderless, clown, dragged-up version of myself. They are obviously not this beautifully sculpted queen with a perfectly painted mug. My character is heavily inspired by ugly, gaudy, character-drag artists like Divine, Leigh Bowery, and Lily Savage.

I started doing stand-up within the DIY, queer, cabaret scene in Kurilpa (West End, Brisbane) and so my comedy and stand-up is completely linked to drag, theatricality, and general camp nonsense. However, I’ve helped Big Red with a lot of their material by taking it to comedy slots and open mics over the last six months and so the show is also firmly rooted within the stand-up comedy tradition. I, myself, am a lifelong comedy fan and pride myself on the fact that the majority of what’s written for the show can stand on its own as funny material (with or without the ridiculousness).

Callie: Sounds like an absolute knockout! What are you hoping the audience might take away from a night in the ring with Big Red?

Georgina: First and foremost, fun! I am up there for an hour giving it my all with winding dialogue, over the top physicality, and an enduring commitment throughout. I also hope the audience comes away with a respect for the themes of finding humour in hardship, the catharsis of fresh starts, and the healing power of vulnerability. Despite the fact that it is objectively a batshit insane hour of silliness, I reckon there are some earnest ideas in there and topics worth going away with to mull over.

Also, to take the question more literally, I’d love if the audience took away a desire to shout about the show from the rooftops. Don’t hesitate to tell your friends, colleagues, and GP if you like and recommend the show. Also, genuinely, there is a very strong re-watchability factor with this show. It contains a huge amount of audience participation, improv, and general ad-libbing because Big Red can’t be trusted to not go on a tangent when the mood strikes. You’ll never get the exact same show twice!

Callie: With Edinburgh Fringe 2025 just around the corner, what are you most excited for?

Georgina: The last time I came to Edinburgh Fringe Festival was TEN years ago. When I was 18 and thought I was going to be a serious, dramatic actor I co-wrote, directed, and produced a play and took it to Edinburgh with my creative partner instead of continuing our drama A Level. I am so excited to be coming back exactly a decade later (as stage manager for Big Red, obviously) as it’s just so full circle. Also, we applied for ZOO venues with that play at that time and did not get it, so to be offered ZOO Playground by James Mackenzie is a complete pinch-me moment. I am just beyond grateful and excited.

I’ve also only been performing again, as well as working on this show, in Australia so it’s the perfect homecoming to the UK to debut this work at Edinburgh Fringe Festival of all places. 

Ultimately, this is all happening pretty quickly so I just want to make sure I deliver the best possible show imaginable and have FUN DOING IT! It’s a complete privilege for any of this to be even remotely possible.

Callie: Final round! Given the themes of Binge Fringe, if your show was a beverage of any kind, what would it be and why?

Georgina: A lukewarm can of XXXX Gold, which is the official beer of mine (and Big Red’s) adopted hometown of the last couple years: Brisbane. Also, neither I or Big Red can be arsed with remembering to put the cans in the fridge ahead of time.

Don’t miss Big Red at ZOO Playground 3 from August 1st – 24th (not wednesdays) at 17:10 (1hr). Tickets available online through the EdFringe box office.