Draw Me Like One of Your Fringe Shows | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Leo Still Dies in the End | Alice Fishbein | Dram @ Gilded Balloon Patter House

1st-15th August | Edinburgh Fringe Fringe Festival | Check out Alice's Website | Follow Alice on Instagram | Follow Alice on TikTok

If you think you’ve seen every take on Titanic, think again. Alice Fishbein’s one-woman comedy Leo Still Dies in the End is a love letter to the Oscar-winning epic — albeit one wrapped in sheer, hilarious chaos.

The show opens with Alice walking down the aisle, not to a partner, but to the special edition 2 part VHS version of the movie. Having first watched Titanic at age six, she’s since clocked up hundreds of viewings and memorised every word — yes, even the soundtrack. And somehow, she’s managed to condense James Cameron’s three-hour epic into a 1 hour 45 minute stage show… then whittled it down even further to just an hour for the Fringe.

The format is brilliantly simple. Alice begins by breaking down her obsession in minute detail. Then, for the reenactment of VHS number one key scenes are on a spinning prize wheel. Whatever it lands on, she performs — playing all the characters, the orchestra, and even stand-in props. The scenes leap back and forth in time and all are accompanied with a running DVD Commentary by Alice herself. The second VHS, is performed in its entirety with a focus on the infamous, endlessly debated door scene, in which Alice plays Rose, Jack and the door!

What follows is a manic madcap, with a knack for very, very funny storytelling. The clever set design, sharp comedic instincts and Alice’s obvious, enduring love for the film (despite it being dated and occasionally problematic) turn this into something special. She doesn’t just parody Titanic — she celebrates it, with a wink and a nudge, while delivering a performance as unsinkable as the ship should have been.

If you love Titanic, you’ll be board over ... with joy. If you don’t, Alice might just win you over anyway.

The Arts Business Top Tips

1. Choose Recognisable Source Material

Alice has cleverly chosen Titanic to be at the centre of her show. Titanic has countless acolades: It was the first ever movie to take 1 billion dollars in a week; it was the highest grossing film of all time from 1997-2009; it ties for first for the top number of Oscar nominations and wins EVER; and has one of the biggest selling singles of all time. It is also one of the most iconic ships from all of history. Basically, everyone knows it! Most people have seen it and the rest have seen it in some kind of parody of it.

Why pick something from popular canon?

• It builds instant audience connection — they already know the reference.

• It makes your show easier to pitch and more memorable when marketing.

• It encourages conversation in curiosity: “How will they reimagine this? What will it look like?”

2. Leverage Iconic Imagery in Your Marketing

By using the most memorable scene in the movie and recreating the tableux of Rose floating on the door, Jack in the water and a curious, goggled onlooker at the back, all of whom are played by Alice, both the tone and subject of the show are spelt out to anyone who sees it.

Why not try:

• Using posters/flyers that reference a famous moment from your source.

• Establishing visual recognition in marketing and branding as this works faster than text at drawing interest.

• Creating photo opportunities that audiences will share and you can then cross promote.

3. Know Your Material Inside Out

Alice openly admits to knowing Titanic inside out claiming that it is one of her party tricks. At the end of the night, where conversation naturally lulls her friends and family request that she 'does Titanic' and Alice obliges in a shot by shot, one woman, no budget, late night cabaret.

Why should you write what you know?

• Confidence comes from total familiarity.

• Knowledge allows for improvised moments which don't lack direction or lose quality.

• It lets you bring small, audience-pleasing details into performance which might be pointing out the obvious or explaining things which they haven't noticed before

4. Condense Without Losing Impact

The classic length of a modern day fringe show tends to be an hour max. Not only has Alice edited her show down to fit this but she has added a unique twist, leaving it up to fate to decide what scenes she includes and which get cut. This is really smart because it creates a show that is rewatchable for super fans who could go back and see something different.

Why not try:

• Cutting a 3-hour epic to 1 hour for the Fringe. It forces tight pacing which in turn keeps the energy high and the audience engaged.

• Using a twist which adds an unpredictable nature to the show and building audience excitement.

• Finding something to make each show unique. It could help to encourage repeat attendance if no two performances are the same.

5. Leverage Social Media for Familiarity & Conversions

Before seeing the posters and being flyered by Alice herself for this show, it was being advertised to me through my Instagram. Although you may not see multiple ticket sales through advertising in this way, what it does do is increase the number of views on this show which means by the time you see the print media you already feel like it's familiar and are therefore more likely to buy tickets.

Why not try:

• Using platforms like Instagram, TikTok and Facebook through paid ads to boost impressions.

• If this works you might want ro run a further ad campaign to encourage conversions.

• Posting more consistently so your content is more likely to rank in your followers algorithms. Visibility builds familiarity with your show, which often leads to ticket sales.