‘Telling this story is the most exposing and vulnerable thing I’ve ever done’ - Euan Munro on his Edinburgh Fringe debut Playback

Scottish actor and writer Euan Munro talks to us about Playback, his new show premiering at Edinburgh Fringe. Inspired by his experience as a child YouTuber, the play blends live performance with original YouTube footage to explore the darker side of online fame and the pressures of growing up in the internet age.

For anyone who hasn't heard of Playback yet, can you tell us a bit about the show and what inspired you to make it?

Playback is the true story of my time as a child YouTuber, told through a mix of live performance and my actual YouTube videos from the early 2010s. It starts as a cringey, nostalgic comedy but gradually darkens to tell a much deeper, more urgent story.

I was inspired to write the show after cracking the login to my old email address a few years ago. I suddenly had access to a complete archive of my YouTube comments and messages from back in the day - and rereading those interactions as an adult completely flipped my perspective on the whole experience. I found myself deeply unsettled and started writing as a way to make sense of what was, without a doubt, the weirdest, funniest and most turbulent period of my life. The show is described as starting as a "cringe-filled comedy nostalgia trip" before darkening. How do you balance those two tones without losing the audience along the way? It’s a really interesting balance, for sure. We’re aiming for that sweet spot where we lower the audience’s guard enough to get them laughing, before punching them in the gut in a way that feels surprising but earned. In early drafts it was pretty abrupt and disorienting, but we’ve been developing the script for a few years now, and I reckon we’ve found a really nice structure.

The show incorporates your actual childhood YouTube videos. How does it feel to watch your 10-year-old self on stage every night in front of an audience? Totally mad. I’m a bit desensitised to the cringe now, but it still weirds me out a little. What’s really interesting is seeing how the audience’s relationship to me changes as the old YouTube content is introduced. You see people’s eyes light up when they realise that the guy onstage is also the little guy on the screen - it creates a super-intimate, personal atmosphere that’s so much fun to play around in.

This is drawn from your own lived experience. Were there any parts of the story you found difficult to include, or things you decided to leave out?

Totally, especially towards the end of the play. Those who’ve seen it will understand that much of the back half of the show is really vulnerable for me, but the honesty of it feels really important. Our director, Katya Searle, has been brilliant at encouraging me to really go there and explore the more painful truths in the piece - and I reckon the play is so much stronger for it.

With the UK's under-16 social media ban now in place, do you think it goes far enough to protect young people online, or does your own experience suggest we need to think bigger?

I’m in two minds about it. I have no doubt it’ll prevent many negative experiences similar to - and worse than - mine, but it seems like a blanket solution to a very intricate problem. Social media is a fantastic outlet for so many young people and, in my case, making content online as a child taught me so much, opened so many doors and laid the foundations for my creative career. The ban seems to place the onus on young people rather than putting stronger measures in place to restrict adults preying on them.

**Playback is your Edinburgh Fringe debut as a writer-performer. What are you most looking forward to and most nervous about with bringing it to the Fringe?

**I’m really looking forward to performing for such a varied audience every day. Sharing this play with people of all ages and from all backgrounds is an absolute dream, and I hope it’ll serve as a catalyst for some interesting conversations.

On the other hand, telling this story is the most exposing and vulnerable thing I’ve ever done. I’m really proud of what we’ve put together and I’m confident in the material - but, ultimately, inviting an audience to come and hear my secrets is pretty scary.

But I’m doing it. As our rehearsal-room mantra goes: “scary is good!”

Playback is at the Edinburgh Fringe at Summerhall from 6 – 30 Aug (not 17 & 24) at 1.20pm. Ticket information here: https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/playback