An Emmy-winning writer and performer from The Daily Show is set to make her hotly anticipated Edinburgh Fringe debut this August with a touching and sharply funny solo show exploring childhood dreams, social media fame and the bittersweet truths of growing up.

An Emmy-winning writer and performer from The Daily Show is set to make her hotly anticipated Edinburgh Fringe debut this August with a touching and sharply funny solo show exploring childhood dreams, social media fame and the bittersweet truths of growing up.

Lily Blumkin, who has helped The Daily Show scoop two consecutive Emmy Awards and penned the 2023 White House Correspondents’ Dinner speech for comedian Roy Wood Jr, brings her character comedy hour Nice Try to the Gilded Balloon’s Patter House venue for the full festival run from 30 July to 25 August (not 14th).

Having sold out its debut in New York, Nice Try sees Blumkin take audiences on a whirlwind trip through nine original characters, each inspired by the clutter of her childhood bedroom as her fictionalised self prepares to move out for good. Along the way, she introduces a chaotic cast of figures from her past, from a bar mitzvah crush and a too-eager dad to a beauty counter bully and a scandalous HR rep.

At the heart of the show is a poignant and playful confrontation between the present-day Lily and her idealistic 12-year-old self, offering a fresh twist on coming-of-age storytelling. With TikTok fame forever just out of reach and self-doubt setting in, Nice Try asks what happens when you give it your all and still fall short—and whether success is ever quite what it seems.

“I think a lot of people feel like they’re about to break through, but never quite do,” says Blumkin. “This show plays with that tension, the stories we tell ourselves, and how we rewrite the past to suit the present.”

Known for her quick wit and dynamic character work, Blumkin is a mainstay of New York’s comedy scene, with appearances at the New York Comedy Festival, SF Sketchfest and NYC Sketchfest. Her writing has been recognised by the Webby Awards, Nantucket Film Festival and Points in Case, among others.

Fringe audiences can expect a mix of fast-paced comedy, heartfelt nostalgia and laugh-out-loud absurdity in what promises to be one of the standout debut shows of the year.

Nice Try runs at 5.40pm daily (except 14 August) at Gilded Balloon – Patter House – Blether.