Pepper&Salt chats to Lulu Popplewell about her sophomore Fringe hour, Love Love, and all that the show encompasses, the meaning of love and the forms that Popplewell explores over the course of the show.
What’s the elevator pitch for your show?
Love is madness. Look at my dog.
What is love?
…Madness? Probably a lot of things though. I asked a bunch of people on the street what they thought it was and they had a whole array of opinions – which you’ll hear if you come to the show!
Where would you draw the line between love and obsession?
Oh I’m afraid this one is actually giving away too much. There’s a third player in that question that makes it more complicated.
If it’s not too much of a spoiler, in relation to your show, how would you define Eros (romantic love), Philia (friendship), Storge (family love), Agape (unconditional love), Ludus (playful love), Pragma (long-lasting love), and Philautia (self-love)?
So the show is only about romantic love. I tried at the start to think about all of them but it got too crowded. I’m not able to give away too much more about what I find in the show but in a (cheating) quick response to all the above, as a queer lady I’m just going to say LOVE IS LOVE and hope no one notices I have somewhat swerved the question.
In your opinion, how useful or harmful are the messages in fairytales like ‘love is the most powerful magic’ or ‘love can conquer all’?
Oh yeah I think that’s nonsense, particularly if we’re talking about romantic love, because since the definition is so varied what do those phrases even mean? These are wishy-washy sentiments. There are many things which have a more powerful magic:
Friendship, therapy, methamphetamines, etc.
What does pop culture teach us about love?
If you look at the things we learn growing up about love it’s mostly from Disney films. My favourites growing up were Hercules, The Little Mermaid and Pocahontas. So I suppose that taught me that love is going to hell and back for someone, or giving up your voice, or colonising native land. I don’t want to do any of those things.
”Since the definition is so varied what do those phrases even mean? These are wishy-washy sentiments. There are many things which have a more powerful magic:
Friendship, therapy, methamphetamines, etc.”
Which common saying about love do you personally believe is the most true?
A relationship hasn’t failed just because it’s over.
In relation to the audience, what vibe are you going for?
It’s comedy! Above all else this is a comedy show and I think it’s easy to forget to talk about that when breaking down serious themes in writing. It’s largely confessional comedy I guess, yes. So, I hope the jokes are funny and the bits that are more about a shared human experience are relatable – that’s all. Definitely not an academic lecture apart from 30 seconds where I do share a bit of science. Definitely not therapy for the audience – I haven’t finished my qualification for starters.
I feel like the most common kind of show in stand-up that relates to topics of love is the break – up show, it’s absence really. How does it feel to subvert the genre as it were?
There have been countless shows about love – break up or otherwise. And I address that immediately in my show – this is not new ground, it’s just my way of exploring it, and that’s ok. This also isn’t not a break up show, in a sense – I talk about exes. But it looks at the idea of absence being an ideal rather than a sadness. Or perhaps the huge presence that absence creates. This might make no sense but come to show and it will. Through looking at my own stories I’m trying to sort of rise up above and see the bigger picture of how the human experience of loving (falling into and out of) can impact us.
What was the writing process like for this show?
Honestly, it was chaotic. For very boring health reasons that I won’t go into. Don’t get me wrong, I have hugely enjoyed making this show but finding the time and health to make it has been complicated. Suffice to say 2025 has been an unwelcome barrage of nightmares and surprises. And the show has changed form many times and perhaps not had quite as much time to settle into its final form as I would have liked. But the fact I have managed to put it together and am proud of it is pretty cool, I think.
How did you start writing this show?
This show started as something completely different about body horror and chronic illness, and then at the end of 2024 I realised that wasn’t what I wanted to perform every day for a month. So my director (Joz Norris) asked me what else was on my mind at the moment. And one particular ex has been on my mind, both in the front and back of it, for an excessive amount of time. So I began there.
How did you find writing the ‘tricky second hour’?
I actually prefer this show to the last one because I think it has a much clearer throughline and I got a director for this one. But aside from that, see above…
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What are you looking forward to about the Edinburgh Fringe?
Seeing loads of shows! I’ve been coming as a punter since I was 13 and when I’m not doing my own show, I still feel like a punter the majority of the time. The fringe is where I fell in love with comedy.
Where would you place this show on the scale of light – hearted to dark?
It depends what you can handle, really. Some audiences have seemed a bit shocked at things that many others have found silly and fun. I’ve actually edited a lot of dark stuff out of it, so if you come and find it too dark, just know it could have been a lot worse. I think it’s in the middle? Some slightly tricky topics potentially but there’s a dog and songs and loads of jokes about bums.
By Katerina Partolina Schwartz
Photo credit: Ed Moore
Pepper & Salt 
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