Ada Player and Bron Waugh are writers and performers who co-created and starred in the BAFTA nominated Channel 4 comedy Blap Peaked. They bring their debut Fringe show ‘The Origin of Love’ to Edinburgh this August. We spoke to the couple about the show, writing as a couple, and their comedy heroes.

Can you tell us about ‘The Origin of Love?’

‘The Origin of Love’ is our debut comedy show at the Fringe. We are a couple, the show is a crazed character-comedy show of weirdo soulmates and bad romance. It’s all about the silly ways people love each other. Make-ups, breakups, declarations of love. We play 17 different characters, and they are all on big, stupid emotional journeys, trying (and failing) to find love.

It’s underscored by the brilliant composer and excellent third wheel, Ed Lyness. He is a beautiful giant who plays piano throughout the show and makes everything feel epic.

We made the show right after writing a pilot for Channel 4, called PEAKED (which has just been nominated for a BAFTA – whaa!!). The tone of that world is very deadpan. So we wanted to swing the other way and make something totally unhinged: a hybrid of sketch show, twisted soap opera, with larger-than-life love stories. It’s weird, dumb, kind of sexy and hopefully there’s a lot of heart there too. 

For anyone who might be new to you as performers, could you describe your approach to comedy?

It’s very silly, very big, and oddly sincere. A mix of grotesque characters and big emotions. We love building little worlds with their own internal logic, then seeing how much we can escalate them into chaos. The show wasn’t devised through gigging, it was all written in a rehearsal room – so it’s this uncompromisingly mad bubble of what we both find funny. 

In general,  we try and make something that works on an emotional, storytelling level first and then add as many jokes as the structure will allow. So it’s is a mix of larger-than-life characters and emotional carnage!

As a couple, how are the writing duties split, and how harmonious is your process?

Our writing process is messy! But really joyful. We are constantly trying to make the other one laugh, and I guess in that way we are getting constant feedback and aren’t precious with ideas, testing them out as we go. 

‘The Origin of Love’  is a sketch show, but we were ruthless with what was included. Every sketch had to: 1. Say something totally different about love 2. be funny (hopefully!)  3.Take place in its own bizarre little universe, 4. Bring out a different dynamic between us as performers.  If not, we’d kill it without mercy!!

There was an early version where all the sketches were sex/poo, related, which was terrifying for everyone involved. (You have to override the ID sometimes.) Afterwards, we wrote one about two little milk-drunk munchkins who live on the alps in domestic bliss. It’s the most wholesome thing we have ever written.

Who are your comedy heroes, and how have they influenced you?

Ada: I remember seeing Lucy Pearman, Emma Sidi, Bridget Christie, and The Travelling Sisters as a teenager at my first Fringe. It blew my tiny mind! They were so brilliantly funny and I’d never seen such total commitment to silliness from women on TV before (I was late to AbFab). It opened up what I thought was possible for me, too. 

Bron: I love comedy that goes hard on the stupidity but also emotional depth, The League of Gentlemen, Nighty Night, Stath Lets Flats, The Office UK, Fawlty Towers, Will Ferrell is excellent. I cried when he he sang that song at the end of Step-Brothers.

Ada: Me too. ^^^ all of those. And Hunderby! I love to cry and laugh in equal measure (sometimes at the same time!!).

‘The Origin of Love’ is your debut hour. What are your hopes and expectations for the month?

We hope ‘The Origin of Love’ finds its audience! Is it you?! We’ve tried to make a show that is completely true to itself. With songs, werewolves, lust-junky rock n’rollers, and even James Bond.  It’s MENTAL. Now it’s just, fingers crossed, that people will stumble across it and love it as much as we do.  

Also we want to have FUN!

Beside ‘The Origin of Love’, can we expect to see you performing elsewhere during August?

We’re performing at ACMS on 4th August! The show involves a lot of jumping so we are going to be careful with our energy supplies. We made the show in five min chunks, so were shocked to discover how unfit we were when we put it all together.  There is a LOT of jumping. 

Also, we have short films: 

Spare Part (a monologue adapted  from our show)

PEAKED (Channel 4 pilot, BAFTA nom) 

COACH

Apart from your show, what else are you looking forward to (or even perhaps dreading) about the Fringe?

Ada: Well I’m cheating because it’s a part of the show, but I’m excited to watch Bron sit in a chocolate tart every day (SPOILER!!!).

Bron: Looking forward to strutting my stuff in leather (SPOILER!!!).

Ada: Looking forward to having a threeso— (OH NO THAT’S A BIG SPOILER!)

Are there any other acts at the Fringe that you would recommend audiences see?

Oh so many. Lorna Rose Treen, Joz Norris, Lachlan Werner, Kathy Maniura, Siblings, Ozzy Algar, Mr Cardboard, Alice Cockayne, Soft Play, Joe Kent Walters. We just watched a Will Owen W.I.P and loved it. 

‘The Origin of Love‘ is at Pleasance Courtyard – Attic from Wed 30 Jul to Sun 24 Aug 2025 at 23:00