Liz Guterbock owns being a Geriatric Millennial

Liz Guterbock talks about her hopes for the Edinburgh Festival, her Fringe rituals and what she learnt in developing her debut hour.

What's the show about?

Geriatric Millennial is about a beautiful doll who's forced into exile due to her so-called imperfections. She goes on an adventure where she finds out that true perfection can only be found within. Oh, sorry. That's the plot of the Barbie movie. Their marketing is so good! If you replace Barbie Land with the UK, and Barbie with a brunette millennial stand-up comedian with a weird last name, it's basically the same story.

Basically, Geriatric Millennial is a show for anyone who is cool with women getting older, silly voices, and some sincerity (but not too much for a UK audience).

What are your hopes for this festival?

My hopes for Edinburgh are that my show helps women who are getting older feel seen and heard, that the show sparks conversations about how ageism has detrimental effects on all of us, and that I can find some gluten-free, dairy-free treats.

What are your Fringe rituals?

One ritual I have is to go into Real Foods, a health food shop near The Meadows to see what they have on offer for my poor little IBS filled gut. They used to have these things called Round Ups which are a gluten and dairy-free version of a wagon wheel. It's marshmallow and a biscuit with a cherry centre covered in chocolate. With those babies in my cupboard, my Fringe fears will melt away.

What did you learn in developing this show?

In making Geriatric Millennial, I've learned that there are a lot of women who, like me, aren't going to have children, and are therefore asking themselves what their future support system will look like. There's been an outpouring of communication from older women who are asking the question "Do women have value beyond their looks and their ability to procreate?" Although it's obvious to me that we do, it can feel difficult to confront alone - but it's worth remembering that there are a lot of things women can birth instead of children.

I've also learned that most UK audiences greet magpies by saying a polite, "Hello Mr Magpie," or something similar, but some people take it to an extreme. One of my favourite audience interactions in previews was with a lovely, calm yoga teacher who said every time she sees a magpie, she does an aggressive military salute and shouts, "HELLO MR. MAGPIE, MR MAGPIE SIR." Her yoga classes must be intense!

What would a better Fringe look like?

A better Fringe might involve more regional festivals partnering with the Edinburgh Fringe to provide development support for future EdFringe projects, and for the EdFringe venues to provide different rates for artists bringing up developing work rather than finished products. Now, it's nearly impossible to do a work-in-progress run of a show in Edinburgh and then officially launch it the following year because the year-on-year costs are so prohibitive. That means artists, especially working-class artists, don't have access to the same development time as previous generations.

A piece of advice to live by?

Never flyer next to a magician.