Shay Mace
Julia Atkin’s upcoming Edinburgh Festival Fringe show Crying At My Podiatrist, or CAMP for short, sees her revisiting the worst three years of her life-medical mishaps, identity crises and giggling through grief. In the autobiographical piece, after losing her big toenail, she gains an unlikely spiritual advisor: her Ukrainian podiatrist. We caught up with Julia for a pixelated pint to find out what’s inspired her to bring the story to the stage.
You can catch Crying At My Podiatrist at Paradise in Augustines (The Snug) from 19:40 (60mins) on August 8–14, 17–21, 24–30. Tickets are Available Through the EdFringe Online Box Office.
Shay: Hi Julia, tell us about CAMP’s themes of identity and grief, and why you have decided to bring this to the stage now?
Julia: Thanks for chatting with me, Shay. Grief has always changed me in profound ways. In this period, it was about my body failing and healing. It was about the person I used to be and the person I was becoming. Sometimes I felt like I was floating away from my body, and my identity became a root system that anchored me to the ground. I had ignored parts of myself for years, and eventually something needed to change, or grow, or die. I came out during COVID and while it was liberating, it was also a process full of grief. A similar process happened when I reconnected to my Jewish heritage through my podiatrist. All the events of CAMP’s story happened between 2020 and 2025. So, 2026 was truly the first year where I stopped living the story and could start shaping it. After years of development, it felt ready to come out. No pun intended.
Shay: How has the creative process been of putting the show together? Give us an idea of the journey you’ve been on with it so far.
Julia: It’s been exhilarating, challenging, emotional, rough at times, but always gratifying. This project is almost six years in the making, and turned my whole life into a creative process. My constant inner monologue goes something like: I don’t know what I’m doing, maybe I know what I’m doing, that’s brilliant, I love this, no I hate it, it’ll never work, except it does, and I love it again! And then I sleep. I realized somewhere down the road that I had to focus on a north star, something to reach for or a deeper reason to tell the story.
Shay: What will be the first thing the audience sees, feels, and hears as they enter the space?
Julia: We’re in a tiny little space called The Snug, so it will feel intimate and a little exposed. Maybe like we’re in a pressure cooker, but fun. They’ll hear a telephone call. They’ll see a rolling stool. They’ll meet me. What else? They’ll see some really nasty photos of my toe, but by then we’ll have warmed up to the idea.
Shay: What are you hoping the audience might take away from the experience, if anything?
Julia: My team and I keep coming back to this mantra: listen to your body. We all have them, and they’re the only homes we get for as long as we live. They have incredible wisdom to share. Sadly, so much of our world is designed to be anti-body. I hope this experience feels physical. I hope it activates the body on all levels. I hope audiences feel free to laugh at the dark parts, I certainly did (and do). And I hope it feels heart-warming, by the end.
Shay: What journey has the show been on to find itself at EdFringe 2026?
Julia: Coming to EdFringe has always been a dream and a goal for the show. There are so many incredible solo shows that started at Fringe, and it always felt like the place I wanted to birth this piece. During the writing process, it felt so far away. And now, I can’t believe it…but we’re only three weeks away from NYC previews. I don’t know if it will really hit me until we’ve done a few shows in Scotland!
Shay: With EdFringe now just around the corner, what are you most excited for?
Julia: I’m most excited to engage with an audience! Solo shows desperately need an audience; they’re my scene partners. It’s a conversation, and I know we’re going to learn so much more about the story once we can see them. Other than that, I’m really excited to meet other artists, see their work, and enjoy the circus.
Shay: Given the themes of Binge Fringe, if your show was a beverage of any kind (alcoholic, non-alcoholic – be as creative as you like!), what would it be and why?
Julia: As a bisexual, I need three drinks on me at all times, so I’m going to break the rules and say CAMP is: a raspberry leaf herbal tea, a black coffee and cigarette, and a banana protein shake. The holy trinity of beverages, if you will.
A reminder, you can catch Crying At My Podiatrist at Paradise in Augustines (The Snug) from 19:40 (60mins) on August 8–14, 17–21, 24–30. Tickets are Available Through the EdFringe Online Box Office.
Sachie Mikawa
