A Mercer Island comedian will soon be unleashing her candid solo stand-up show, “American Fetish,” at the prestigious Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Scotland.

When she resided on the Island, Anaïs Gralpois spent heaps of time on the local Youth Theatre Northwest stage. Initially a shy kid, she gained confidence through performing and has toted that experience with her from Mercer Island to the world’s stages.

“I got to meet older kids in the program and really develop a sense of community and I’m eternally grateful for that,” Gralpois, 29, said via email from her home in the Tottenham Hale area of London, England.

Gralpois will first hit the Fringe’s Bothie at Gilded Balloon Patter House stage on July 30 and deliver her debut show at the mammoth arts festival through late August. Gralpois noted that “American Fetish” will touch upon “the absurdities of moving from the U.S. to the U.K., dating British men, while navigating identity in your twenties.”

After moving to London to begin working toward her master’s degree in classical acting at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art, she delved into stand-up comedy at an open-mic competition night in the back of a pub. She won a trophy that first time and kept rolling.

“I just think London has some of the best art in the world and I wanted to be a part of that community,” she said.

Now it’s Fringe time, and Gralpois — who applied to pitch her show and was then selected to perform — relayed her thoughts about what awaits in Edinburgh as writer, performer and producer of “American Fetish.”

“I’ve been really lucky that I’ve been a part of Soho Theatre: Edinburgh Labs in London, which is a program where they help you with all the admin that you need to do before attending the Fringe itself,” she said. “I feel like there’s constantly one million things on my mind and then there’s also the show. While it is stressful, I am incredibly grateful to be a part of the programming because it’s a huge honour to be able to showcase my work for an entire month to people all over the world.”

Gralpois’ Mercer Island journey began when she moved here in August 2005. While living on the Island, she attended the French American School of Puget Sound, West Mercer Elementary School and graduated from Mercer Island High School in 2015.

The comedian’s mom and stepdad still call the Island home, so she stays with them when she can fit trips to the old stomping grounds into her schedule.

“I would say the MI experience was positive, and as an adult I can really look back and see how privileged I was to get the education I did. I do think I got my strong work ethic from growing up on Mercer Island and attending school there,” said Gralpois, adding that she makes some references to her high school experience and weaves in jokes about Seattle during her show.

Holly (Ann) Williams, Gralpois’ mother, chipped in on what her daughter has done to achieve success: “She has great stage presence, having started theater in kindergarten. She writes her own material and is in tune to what’s funny to her audience. She has never stopped striving to be better.”

Williams added that while Gralpois has earned a bachelor of arts degree in drama and a master’s degree in acting, she continues to hone her craft by enrolling in a London improv series.

Gralpois, who is half French, said she’s always been a massive fan of stand-up and added that Mike Birbiglia is her favorite comedian that she’s witnessed live.

Over the years in the London area, she’s emceed/hosted South Kensington Comedy Club Thursday night events; paired with dating app “Thursday” to notch their first comedy partnership; performed in the intense, heckle-laden The Comedy Store London gong show (she lasted three minutes out of five minutes during her two appearances); and taken the stage at clubs in London and Oxford.

“Most of the venues that host stand-up nights are in pubs, so there’s a high chance you’re dealing with a crowd that has been drinking, which can be helpful sometimes and sometimes very distracting,” Gralpois said.

She explained what it’s like to perform stand-up comedy in front of American and British crowds. There can be some challenges in generating laughter across the pond.

“I’ve done stand-up comedy in New York City as well, so I see that there’s a big difference in terms of energy in the crowd. I find that when Brits tend to find something funny, they won’t outwardly laugh like Americans do,” she said. “It is not to say that British people don’t do that, but it takes a lot more work to get them there.”

Living in London for almost six years now, Gralpois feels that she brings a refreshing touch and fun insight on the “Britishisms” after largely adapting to the city and retaining tons of their slang.

“Although for some reason, I still say Band-Aid instead of plaster and I get bullied,” she said.

Meeting different kinds of people has been the highlight during her stay in London, which “is such a big city full of immigrants, you get to hear about different people’s experiences,” she said.

Looking back on discussing career choices with others, Gralpois said she wanted to be an actor. When asked about a backup plan, she replied with stand-up comedian.

“So it’s kind of funny that in a way I am doing my backup plan,” she said.