Baked Fresh. Served Hot. This October, Marilyn Leder serves up MILF and Cookies – a comedy and song smackdown of marriage, divorce, dating a narcissist and smashing through the comedy boys’ club, as part of the 2026 Melbourne Fringe.
The much anticipated follow up to her smash-hit comedy, The MILF Next Door, Marilyn is back dating as a 50-something Jewish mamma. After surviving divorce and dalliances with younger men, Marilyn dated a narcissist, turned to artificial intelligence for relationship advice – ChatGPT love bombed her and made her dump him.
She turns the trauma into a tight set, a few killer songs and a fearless take-down of the comedy boys’ club – now she’s got the mic, a great pair of lungs, and the last word. Heartbroken, harassed and hilariously underestimated, Marilyn finds her voice in the chaos.
With dramaturgy by multi-award winning Geraldine Quinn (Spicks and Specks, RocKwiz, The Passion of Saint Nicholas, BROAD), in MILF and Cookies, Marilyn is raw, fearless and funny as hell.
Marilyn Leder has shared the stage with Chris Rock in L.A., toured Australasia in Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story musical and has worked in script development for ABC Comedy and NBC Television in the heyday of Seinfeld, Frasier and Friends.
A film and television university lecturer by day, her 2022 debut solo show, The MILF Next Door was a MICF and Fringe Festival knockout. In 2023 she toured with the critically acclaimed comedy, Tight Mums, Loose Units, receiving an Arts South Australia grant and was a Raw Comedy Honourable Mention.
MILF and Cookies
Classic Southside, 9 Gordon Street, Elsternwick
Season: 3 – 11 October 2026
Information and Bookings: www.melbournefringe.com.au
Festival Hub: Trades Hall – Archive Room, Corner Lygon and Victoria Streets, Carlton
Season: 14 – 15 October 2026
Information and Bookings: www.melbournefringe.com.au
Image: Marilyn Leder (supplied)