It is festival season and that means that in the next month there is so many great comedy festivals to look forward to! This month we are looking at some of the great shows that you can see at the Edinburgh Fringe. So take note because we are going to give you all the information you need for just a handful of some of the great shows happening this year!

Myq Kaplan: ImPerfect

Location:  Underbelly, Bristo Square – The Dairy Room (Venue 302)

Dates: Aug 2nd – 13th, 15th-28th

Time: 19:45

Price: £12.50 Concessions £11.50

Ticket Link: https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/myq-kaplan-imperfect

Hello! Tell us about yourself? 

hello! thank you for the kind question! one thing about myself is that i LOVE telling folks about myself. so here we go! my name is myq (mike) kaplan. i’ve been a comedian for 20 years, a human for 44, and a philosophy guy for WHAT EVEN IS TIME?! i’ve done standup on the tonight show, letterman, conan, and AT THE EDINBURGH FRINGE WHICH I’M VERY EXCITED TO RETURN TO WITH THIS NEW SHOW. those are some tidbits to start with!

How did you come up with the name of your show that you’re taking to the fringe?

Great question! Well, it’s come to my attention at various points over the years that i’m not perfect, BUT I THOUGHT THAT I WAS AND I WANTED TO BE AND STILL DO SOMETIMES. i’ve learned that there’s been a lot of room for growth in a lot of aspects of my life, and i’ve been looking back and thinking about ways to improve moving forward, and so the name “ImPerfect” evokes both the original thought that “I’m Perfect” while simultaneously demonstrating that i thus far have been “imperfect.” still working on it! i think the name is perfect, but if it isn’t, then the fact that the name is “ImPerfect” is even more perfect! thanks for asking!

Tell us all about your show!

Thanks for asking! the show is called “ImPerfect,” and it’s full of advice to myself from myself, tracking where i’ve been (new jersey, boston, stardust at the dawn of time, etc) and where i’m heading (edinburgh, wherever the earth is hurtling in space, stardom, etc), reflecting on potential improvements as a human, a relationship partner, and matter/energy comprising an infinitesimal portion of this universe. oh also the show is mainly about my relationship with my girlfriend rini and how she and it have changed my life. and maybe how it will change YOURS! TWIST ENDING: MY SHOW IS ABOUT CHANGING YOUR LIFE! (maybe!)

What other acts are you looking forward to seeing at the fringe?

Too many to name! but i’ll start with a few off the top of my head. fellow NYC comedians chloe radcliffe and emily walsh and matt goldich and lots more are going to be there and they’re all super funny! stuart goldsmith is a UK comedian i met last time i was at the fringe and i think he is fantastic, so i’m really looking forward to his show. also, clowns.

Have you done the fringe before? What are the key pieces of advice you have been given or would give to new groups or people performing at the fringe. 

I’ve done the fringe once before, in 2018, and i loved it! advice i would give to everyone including myself: sleep. drink water. watch as many clown shows as you can.

Favourite one liner you have done in a show and why?

Now this is a question i can’t entirely answer fully, because all of my one-liners are my babies, and i love them all equally, or at least i love a lot of them equally. so, here are a few that i love EQUALLY and i hope you love them also:

“i like to do the irish hello which is where you don’t even show up to the party.”
i like this one because it resonates with a lot of folks who have feelings about parties.

“i’m vegan, but i’m not here to say that i think i’m better than you; i’m merely here to IMPLY it.”
i like this one because i think it really taps into the way people feel about vegans.

“the itsy-bitsy spider is sisyphus for kids.”
i like this one because it works to the tune of the song and i love music!

“coffee? not my cup of tea.”
i like this one because it’s only six words long!

and much much more!

What have been some of the most unique and different comedy shows you have seen this year and why?

i saw Sam Morrison’s one-man show “sugar daddy” and it was beautiful and poignant and hilarious. he’s a young man whose partner died and the grief gave him diabetes, making him wise beyond what one might expect from his year. and that’s what the show is about. it’s fantastic.

i also love Zach Sherwin’s “the crossword show.” Zach is my best friend and i love his brain and his heart and his comedy and his music and everything that he does. the show is an amazing combination of comedy, music, many rabbit holes of fun facts, and people solving a crossword puzzle live on stage. 

Also, i saw a show where my dear friend Liz Glazer recorded her first hour of standup comedy which just came out as an album called “a very particular experience” and it’s ALSO about grief, which she handles thoughtfully, compassionately, and hilariously.

Those are just the first three off the top of my head. there are so many amazing shows out there!

Talk us through your daily routine for a day at the Fringe

Wake up. meditate. drink a liter of water. read something peaceful. Write morning pages. send emails. text good friends and my mom probably. Wander. Look for clowns and food. maybe food first. eat food at some point. Probably various points. don’t eat clowns. drink more water. look at a castle or seven. watch shows. do my show. maybe do other shows. EXACT SAME EVERY DAY, NO ALTERATION.

What is the best way to enjoy yourself at the fringe?

Super question! if we’re talking about people who aren’t me, i’d recommend seeing my show. if we’re talking about people who ARE me, i’d recommend DOING my show. and also for everyone, self included, CLOWNS! (really, all the clown shows i’ve seen at the fringe are amazing!)

Best thing about performing at the fringe?

Great question, i’ve performed at the fringe once before and there were so many great things about it. Getting to do a show that i really care about and want to share with the world might be number one. also getting to see so many other shows of all kinds and getting to meet so many other creative talented folks. Also seeing so many castles. (my girlfriend loves castles.)

The most challenging thing about performing at the fringe?

Another great question (the hits keep coming!)! i’m not really sure. maybe the knowledge that some people who would love the show might not get to see the show? (so thank you for doing all that you’re doing to make sure that doesn’t happen!)

What would be your top three items every performer must take to the fringe?

Passport to get into the country, phone because our lives seem to depend on them, and love in the heart (or outside the heart, wherever you keep your love!)

What’s the secret to successful flyering? 

Wonderful question! i’d love to know the answer! You tell me! or, i’ll give you my best guess for now: the secret to successful flyering is having a wonderful, hilarious, meaningful show that i love and am proud of, such that whoever is flyering can honestly and authentically express to people receiving the flyers that this is a show that is wonderful, hilarious, and meaningful.

Who would be your ultimate dream audience member?

A dream of a question, you’re the best! sincerely, thank you for asking me these questions. i love talking about myself and other people who aren’t myself but also kind of are. (that’s you.) 

i have more than one dream audience member, and here they all are:

A) everyone in the world who would love the show.

B) everyone outside the world who would love the show (example: aliens from the farthest reaches of space that just found out about standup comedy on earth and are curious… i think this is a good show for aliens to see if they want to!)

C) all of my best friends and loved ones especially those who live far away so it’s a super nice surprise that they were able to drop everything to fly across the world to support me and see a show that i love and they love and also they can hopefully hang out afterwards because it will be really nice to catch up

D) all of my favorite comedians and funny people whose work i love and respect (examples include BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO maria bamford, reggie watts, aparna nancherla, paul f tompkins, sarah silverman, james acaster, jo firestone, nick vatterott, nikki glaser, baron vaughn, kate berlant, gary gulman,  tig, tim minchin, jacqueline novak, rory scovel, molly shannon, bo burnham, tiffany haddish, paul reiser, hannah gadsby, stephen colbert, samantha bee, jon stewart, and how long can this answer be? PS can people come back from the dead to see my show? if so, i’d love for mitch hedberg and joan rivers and my grandmothers to be there also. and any of your long lost dead loved ones, while i have this magical ability!)

E) all of my favorite musicians and artists of other kinds whose work i love and respect (examples include BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO regina spektor, sufjan stevens, roomful of teeth, zach sherwin, juana molina, eve6, imogen heap, and MANY MANY MORE)

F) grownups in my life who sometimes intimidate me and i want to impress (examples include AND ARE LIMITED TO my landlord, my old accountant, and my dentist)

G) my family, my girlfriend’s family, my favorite teachers, everyone from my summer camp, dan savage, and anyone i forgot

H) the buddha (and/or other buddhas if the buddha is busy)

I) you! (anyone who read all the way down this list! you are a champion!)

J/K) everyone!

If people want to find out more about you where can they follow you on social media?

I am @myqkaplan on all the social media. i’ve also got a newsletter i send out weekly for free (plus more if you subscribe for more!) at myqkaplan.substack.com. additionally, you can listen to all of my standup comedy albums on whatever streaming service you choose! just search for “myq kaplan” and you’ll find me and i appreciate it!

And Finally in three words – Why should people come and see the show? 

MEANINGFUL FUN! THANKS!