Multidisciplinary performer and composer Callum Grant is at the Edinburgh Fringe this year with Broken Planet Show: a cabaret and variety piece which aims to bring people together through silliness. When I was looking for artists to interview this year, Callum’s email caught my attention because Broken Planet Show sounded unlike any Fringe show I’d seen before. It includes clown, live-looped music, audience interaction and organised chaos (think pillow fights, raptor raves, nerf karaoke and bizarre characters). It also features various acts and artists from across the Fringe, including Clown God, Mothman and Fart Monkey to name a few. Through this website, it is always wonderful to hear about performances that encourage togetherness and I was thrilled to have the opportunity to ask the creative some questions about his career so far and what inspired the creation of Broken Planet Show.
How did you get into performing?
Growing up my friends and I were the local nuisance clowns, hiding from police in roundabouts (traffic circles) and knocking on every door at every given chance. When I told my career advisor that I wanted to study performing properly he said, ‘ok… but what would you actually like to do?’. I then proceeded to surprise him by stumbling into a degree at the Royal Scottish Academy, creating devised work, studying all aspects of performance.
I was lucky to find a placement with incredibly fun street theatre company Mischief La Bas in Glasgow, shortly followed by auditioning for Blue Man Group and just kept going from there!
How did performing with Blue Man Group shape your career trajectory so far?
Massively, it changed my life. How on earth did a skinny punk from the north east of Scotland end up playing Tokyo Dome?!
It took me around the globe, refined and developed my performance skills and most importantly gave me the gift of a wonderful network of wildly talented weirdos: a found family that now extends far beyond that company. I’ll be forever grateful and it’s exciting to see how my work with Blue Man Group informs the evolutions of Broken Planet Show.
What can you tell me about the origins of Broken Planet Show? How did you come up with the idea for the show?
The show began in my living room as an experiment with friends. At the time, I had been writing for Blue Man Group then felt it was finally time to create something of my own.
Human connection through live performance is true magic, there’s a palpable energy – ancient, unique, and impossible to replicate. In this digital age, we need that connection more than ever and tribalism has always fascinated me. Humans naturally want to belong, and we’ll find endless ways to divide ourselves into groups: cats or dogs, Android or iPhone, us or them. That instinct is our strength and weakness, especially when manipulated by greed, fear, or media narratives – it can become dangerous. I wanted to make something ridiculous, joyful, and hopeful that might inspire a little more empathy everywhere.
What made you decide to fuse together clown, live-looped music, audience interaction and organised chaos for this piece?
Use what you know?! These are my skills, what I’m good at and I will never be finished training in them. I started looping with guitar in musical projects (@imissearthquakes) and always wanted to incorporate it into a show. I can be the whole orchestra!
Trying to conduct live interactive chaos just keeps giving and challenging, it’s unpredictable and will change every time someone experiences the show.
How did you develop the show alongside a creative collective from around the globe?
The universe has incredible ways of connecting you to people and things once you let it. Either someone saw the show and said ‘I’m in, what do you need?’ or random events and connections brought people into my life.
I literally almost crashed my bicycle into Richie Schiraldi in Chicago who – after coming to check on me because that’s who he is – turned out he was secretly the Mothman and quickly became the first ever guest in Broken Planet Show. (Go see his solo show The Mothman Cometh)
If you had to summarise Broken Planet Show in a word, what would it be?
HOPE
What are you most excited about, performing in Edinburgh this year?
Performing at Just the Tonic at the Caves, the Big Room, they are such cool venues. I’ve always loved the atmosphere and vibe, they take you on a journey which is perfect for Broken Planet Show!
Catch Broken Planet Show at the 2026 festival
Callum’s work really has taken him all over the world. The show is a great example of the variety pieces you can get at Fringe, fusing skillsets and completely redefining what you can expect from live performance. Broken Planet Show is based at Just The Big Room at Just The Tonic at The Caves (venue 88) from 20th – 30th August. Performances start at 16:30 (1 hour), with the show on sale via the EdFringe website now.
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