At a festival often dominated by bold young talent, veteran performers are stealing the spotlight at this year's Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Among them is Miriam Margolyes, 84, who first performed at the Fringe with Cambridge University Footlights in 1963. She returns with an upgraded version of her acclaimed Charles Dickens showcase, with a flyer reading: 'Same old cunt, even older. It could be the last time, but don't bank on it!'
Margolyes, known for roles in Blackadder, Harry Potter and The Graham Norton Show, says she feels 'very lucky' to still be working. 'There's relatively few people of my age still working,' she notes, adding that performing live is 'like a kiss, it's a caress'. She describes an 'immediate feeling of joy and competence' on stage, a confidence that has come with time.
The actor, who is Jewish, has faced backlash for her criticism of the Israeli government's actions in Gaza. She defends her right to speak out: 'If you have a chance to make an impact for good, to change things, then you should. I think it's an absolute requirement.' She adds: 'You can't cancel me!'
Also appearing is Andy Linden, 71, another Harry Potter co-star who played Mundungus Fletcher. This year marks the 40th anniversary of his Edinburgh debut. After a respiratory attack in 2022 that led his doctor to warn he 'would need a hearse not an ambulance', Linden is performing his own show, Baxter vs the Bookies, while abstaining from alcohol and cigarettes for the first time at the festival.
Linden describes the Edinburgh Fringe as 'the Grand National, not a five-furlong sprint' and advises performers to pace themselves. 'In the past we gloriously defiled ourselves one way or another, but as the years unfold experience takes a hand,' he says. He recommends taking days off during the run to do something different, like watching football.
