Edinburgh Fringe Fest - Drew Michael
Following two hugely successful HBO comedy specials, SNL writer Drew Michael presents his Fringe debut, Drew’s Adventures. Centred around his lifelong experience with hearing loss, Drew employs his trademark confessional, enigmatic style to chart his journey to self-acceptance in this emotionally charged UK debut.
Ahead of his first UK performances, we spoke to Drew about comedy specials and crowd work.
Your show centres around your lifelong journey with hearing loss – how does that affect you when you’re on stage?
One thing is that I never ask the audience questions; however, I don’t know if I would do that even if I could hear as I find 99% of crowd-work insufferable. To answer your question, though, there is a bit of perpetual anxiety because if something audible does happen — a heckler, a random sound, etc. — I’ll likely be the only one in the room who doesn’t know, which is a fairly fragile state to be in, especially when everyone is looking at you to do something.
You have two HBO specials ‘Drew Michael’ and ‘Red Blue Green’ – what was the reaction like to those?
I can’t really speak on the totality of the reaction as it was varied and I’m also not privy to reactions that aren’t published. Most things I watch, for example, I don’t publicize my reaction to them… People use the word “polarizing” and I’d say that’s fair although I don’t think we did anything so crazy; it’s just that the expectation for “comedy special” is relatively one-dimensional, or at least it has been up until recently.
What has surprised you most during your comedy career?
I could give a lot of answers to this but the post-covid Internet comedy boom and the shape it’s in now — never in my wildest dreams… That goes hand in hand with watching a number of my influences unmask themselves as truly detestable people. The “legends” are mostly a collection of stunted men.
What are you most looking forward to about being in the UK/in Edinburgh?
Adding ‘u’s to all of my “-or” words.
If you weren’t doing comedy, what would you be doing?
According to a few YouTube comments, I’m not even doing comedy now! I think I’d be writing and performing in some capacity. If that’s off the table, I truly have no idea. Not to be a buzzkill, but I never think about this. If I stop doing this, it means a landscape like the one in “The Road” has emerged and so I’d be trying to find an apple. Or a knife.
Drew Michael: Drew’s Adventures will be performed at 5.40pm in Pleasance Dome (Jack Dome) from 2nd – 27th August (Not 16th)
Book HERE
