{"id":1130695,"date":"2026-08-04T22:56:24","date_gmt":"2026-08-04T22:56:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/1130695\/"},"modified":"2026-08-04T22:56:24","modified_gmt":"2026-08-04T22:56:24","slug":"interview-jess-robinson-on-reimagining-elton-john-for-her-10th-edinburgh-fringe","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/1130695\/","title":{"rendered":"Interview: Jess Robinson on Reimagining Elton John for her 10th Edinburgh Fringe"},"content":{"rendered":"

Multi-award-winning impressionist and classically trained vocalist Jess Robinson<\/strong> brings her acclaimed comedy cabaret show, Your Song: Elton Reimagined, to the Piccolo Tent in Assembly George Square Gardens for the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Running daily at 19:15 from 5th August through 30th August 2026, the one-hour performance reconstructs Sir Elton John\u2019s<\/strong> legendary pop catalogue through the distinct vocal styles of famous female artists, including new impressions of Lily Allen<\/strong> and Raye <\/strong>alongside Billie Eilish<\/strong>, Amy Winehouse<\/strong>, and Barbra Streisand<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\"Jess<\/a>Jess Robinson \u201cElton John\u201d credit Chloe Hashemi<\/p>\n

Created in collaboration with musical director Matthew Floyd Jones on keyboard, the show combines musical comedy with vocal mimicry inside Assembly\u2019s atmospheric canvas tent in the heart of George Square. Designed for Fringe audiences seeking accessible musical entertainment, tickets range from \u00a310 to \u00a316.50 for the 14+ guideline-rated performance. Below is the full, unabridged interview with Jess Robinson as she discusses tackling Elton\u2019s songbook, navigating her tenth Edinburgh run, and her favourite local haunts across Morningside and the Grassmarket.<\/p>\n

Elton Reimagined brings the music of Elton John to life through the voices of iconic women, including new additions for 2026 like Lily Allen and Raye. How do you decide which female artist\u2019s vocal style will completely transform a specific Elton classic?<\/strong><\/p>\n

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I like to start with voices that feel really distinctive and contrasting in style and tone to what\u2019s already in the show. Lily Allen and Raye are both gifts in that sense. As soon as you hear their voice on the radio you know it\u2019s them \u2013 without the DJ announcing it\u2026 Whereas \u2013 although I adore Taylor Swift, and Olivia Rodrigo \u2013 I feel their voices and style are less immediately identifiable. Part of the fun is the audience being in on the musical jokes so they notice clever riffs or musical motifs or vocal tics that I\u2019ve mashed into Elton\u2019s amazing hits. Also \u2013 Elton\u2019s songs are so brilliantly written that they survive almost any interpretation. It\u2019s funny \u2013 hearing Candle in the wind sung by Billie Eilish and mashed I was \u2018What Was I Made For\u2019 from the Barbie movie brings new meaning to the song\u2026 there are many ridiculously silly and camp moments \u2013 Shakira\u2019s version of \u2018I Guess That\u2019s Why They Call It The Blues\u2019 or Gaga\u2019s \u2018Crocodile Rock\u2019 \u2013 but others are genuinely moving. A song you thought you knew suddenly feels heartbreakingly vulnerable or gloriously defiant. I also love putting together combinations that nobody would expect. If people spend the first ten seconds thinking, \u201cSurely she isn\u2019t going to\u2026\u201d then I\u2019m usually onto something.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

You collaborated with Matthew Floyd Jones on this show. What does the creative process look like when you are dismantling a legendary track and rebuilding it with a completely different vocal identity?<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Matthew is the perfect person to do this with because neither of us is precious. We start by asking ridiculous questions. What if Kate Bush sang Yellow Brick Road? What if Lily Allen got hold of Honky Cat? What if Alanis Morissette wandered into the studio? There\u2019s a lot of coffee and biscuits and laughing. Then we just have a go. Matthew plays, I sing in the voice we\u2019re trying to arrange for\u2026 we stop \u2013 we try a different key or time signature. We\u2019ll often choose a really famous and stylistically distinctive song for the artist as a starting point, for example with Barbra Streisand\u2019s version of \u2018I\u2019m Still Standing\u2019 \u2013 or rather \u2018I\u2019m Still Streisanding\u2019, we begin with in the style of \u2018The Way We Were\u2019 with Matthew using some of the the same chord progressions. By the end of the song Barbra is belting out the most defiant Broadway version of the song in the style of Don\u2019t Rain On My Parade. It\u2019s hugely uplifting and always brings the house down. It\u2019s a bit like taking apart an expensive Swiss watch, laying all the pieces on the table, and somehow building a completely different watch that still tells exactly the same time. Occasionally we look at each other and say, \u201cThis is either genius\u2026 or we\u2019ve completely lost the plot.\u201d It\u2019s usually both.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

The Piccolo Tent at Assembly George Square Gardens has a fantastic, intimate atmosphere. How does the energy of a classic Fringe tent shape a musical comedy performance compared to a traditional theatre space?<\/strong><\/p>\n

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I absolutely love it. Having toured the show regionally earlier this year in a different venue every night, I am so looking forward to being back in one place and the Piccolo Tent couldn\u2019t be a better home. The audience are practically in the show with you. It\u2019s so much more fun for me to be able to see people nudging each other when they recognise an impression rather than being blinded by lights and looking out into darkness. In a big theatre there\u2019s a lovely sense of occasion, but in the Piccolo Tent there\u2019s something deliciously immediate. It feels like everyone\u2019s in it together. Every laugh, every gasp, every little intake of breath lands straight back on stage, and I can play with that. It\u2019s a conversation rather than a presentation. By the time everyone leaves I feel like we\u2019ve all done the show together. It feels like \u2018US\u2019, rather than \u2018ME\u2019 vs \u2018THEM\u2019 if that makes sense?<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Performing a high-energy show nearly every night for a month takes a serious physical toll. What is your go-to routine for looking after your voice and recharging your batteries during the Fringe run?<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Oh god \u2013 well it\u2019s my tenth fringe. In 2013 I was out every night drinking neat tequila and dancing on tables. Now, I will allow myself a few nights of that, but \u2013 (please don\u2019t be sick when you read this next bit) \u2013 I do reformer pilates most mornings and I generally like to be in bed before midnight\u2026 That\u2019s more or less where it ends. I should do sensible warm-ups, and become fiercely protective of my voice. I should be the person silently mouthing thank you in a caf\u00e9 rather than shouting over the coffee machine but I\u2019m pretty casual and my voice is robust. Also after doing the full 90 minute show for the past few months, 60 minutes feels like a breeze!!<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

When you have a rare afternoon off\u2014or on your official rest day on the 17th\u2014where is your favourite spot in Edinburgh to escape the festival crowds and find some quiet time?<\/strong><\/p>\n

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On my one day off I won\u2019t go into the centre of town at all \u2013 I\u2019ll probably book a massage. I stay with my cousin in Morningside so I might wander into Bruntsfield for a lovely coffee. Or visit Prestonfield House Hotel. It feels like home from home actually. I have hosted loads of charity fundraising galas there of the past few years. I know the staff really well and I always get a warm welcome. May this year it\u2019ll be afternoon tea in the Tapestry Room.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Edinburgh has an incredible independent food scene. Are there any local restaurants, cafes, or hidden gems you always look forward to visiting when you return to the city?<\/strong><\/p>\n

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It\u2019s got to be Cold Town House on The Grass Market. Their pizza is INSANE. The views of the castle from the rooftop is just so stunning and I love their beer. It\u2019s a great place to hang out when you\u2019re hungry and thirsty after a show.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

The sensory experience of Edinburgh in August is unique, from the cobblestones to the changing weather. What is the first thing you see, hear, or smell that makes you think, \u201cI am finally back at the Fringe\u201d?<\/strong><\/p>\n

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It\u2019s all of the show posters. I love seeing the colours and images and titles and getting excited about what I want to see.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\"Jess<\/a>Jess Robinson \u201cElton John\u201d credit Chloe Hashemi<\/p>\n

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Your career spans everything from Spitting Image to Britain\u2019s Got Talent. How does the immediate, live feedback of an Edinburgh audience compare to performing in a television studio or a voiceover booth?<\/strong><\/p>\n

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I genuinely love all three because they\u2019re completely different muscles. And now I\u2019m a published author too. My book Life is Rosi \u2013 Grandma Me and Our Diaries at 23 was released in January \u2013 published by HarperCollins. Voiceover work is wonderfully microscopic. It\u2019s all about tiny details. Television is brilliant, but you\u2019re often performing for a camera and trusting that someone, somewhere, will laugh later. I wrote my final draft of my book during last year\u2019s fringe and the quiet focus was a wonderful contrast to the chaos of the Fringe. The Edinburgh audiences tell you instantly whether something works. They\u2019re your editor, your producer and your focus group all rolled into one. If a joke needs another beat or an impression needs pushing a little further, they\u2019ll let you know within about half a second. It\u2019s terrifying\u2026 and I absolutely love it.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

For locals who might be overwhelmed by the thousands of shows on offer this August, what is the core reason they should make Elton Reimagined a definitive part of their Fringe itinerary?<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Well, you won\u2019t be taking a punt with this show \u2013 it\u2019s tried and tested and has gained 16 four and five star reviews now. My mission is to spread joy. You\u2019ll hear songs you already love in a way you\u2019ve never heard them before. You don\u2019t need to know every Elton John album, and you certainly don\u2019t need to know every impression I do. If you enjoy brilliant music, a bit of silliness, getting goosebumps and leaving with a huge smile on your face, then I think you\u2019ll have a lovely time. As ITV put it \u2013 It\u2019s like a mega concert with all your favourite stars.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

If you had to pick one Elton John track that perfectly captures the spirit and chaotic energy of Edinburgh during festival season, which one would it be and why?<\/strong><\/p>\n

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It has to be I\u2019m Still Standing. By week three everybody\u2019s a bit sleep deprived, you\u2019ve done approximately 47,000 steps a day, you\u2019ve had three different weather systems before lunchtime, and somehow you\u2019re still flyering with a smile on your face. That song has exactly the spirit of the Fringe. Slightly frazzled\u2026 slightly delirious\u2026 but determined to keep going because there\u2019s nowhere else in the world quite like it.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Thanks, Jess!<\/p>\n

Summary and Ticket Information<\/p>\n

Your Song: Elton Reimagined provides a high-energy hour of cabaret entertainment, showcasing Jess Robinson\u2019s remarkable vocal range alongside Matthew Floyd Jones\u2019s musical arrangements. For locals and visitors heading to Assembly George Square Gardens this August, it stands out as an established, top-tier musical comedy highlight of the festival programme.<\/p>\n