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!

An Asian Queer Story: Coming Out to Dead People

Location:   Assembly Roxy – Downstairs (Venue 139)

Dates: Jul 31st, Aug 1st-12th

Time: 13:45

Price: £13.50 Concessions £12.50

Ticket Link: https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/asian-queer-story-coming-out-to-dead-people

Hello! Tell us about yourself?

 I am originally from Malaysia but grew up in New York. I have one of those cliche comedian origin stories: I used to be a lawyer before becoming a comedian. Yes, that lawyer-to-comedian pipeline is real. The reasonable next step after writing legal memos for clients is to write punchlines for strangers. I am also fortunate to be able to do comedy as an openly queer comedian in the US – as opposed to back home, it is a lot harder to perform openly LGBT-related stand-up comedy shows due to local anti-LGBT laws and censorship.  

Tell us all about your show!

An Asian Queer Story: Coming Out to Dead People is a returned show, with an hour of stand-up and storytelling about my experience of trying to come out to my mother after she’s diagnosed with cancer. The show explores queer identity, cross-generational relationships within an immigrant family, and finding closure. You should come if you enjoy playful, raunchy, yet heartfelt comedy. The show finds humour in death, grief, growing up a gaysian in the noughties, and how I got the rapper Sean Paul to help me to keep my first ex-boyfriend.  

The show first debuted at a karaoke bar in the basement of a Chinatown restaurant before evolving into theater productions and playing in multiple sold-out shows. It had its UK debut and received rave reviews during the Edinburgh Fringe last year. The show was selected as one of the 2024 OffFest Finalists by the Off-West End Awards (the Offies), and It was invited by London’s Soho Theatre to have its Off-West End debut earlier this year and now I am back for an encore run at the Edinburgh Fringe this year. 

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

With An Asian Queer Story: Coming Out to Dead People – I wanted a title to encompass the themes of grief, death, and queer identity while it still conveying that it is a comedy show.

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

Christopher Morucci and Kendall Davis: DISCOunt; Carolyn Castiglia: Chuck; Sora Baek: Sell Me; I am From North Korea, Bailey Swilley: Gimme a sign! Sam See: And I Can’t Feel At Home in this World Anymore; Kemah Bob: Miss Fortunate

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 brought my show to the Fringe last year. I often tell people to identify the goal they want to achieve get out of the fringe and just focus on that. The Fringe could be very overwhelming, with thousands of things happening at the same time. It is important to know what your own individual measure of success is and take wins when you can. 

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

I like to take a morning run/jog, and if I have the energy, I would jog towards Arthur’s Seat from my student housing. Then I might grab some affordable and delicious Tesco meal deals as breakfast (#artistlife), and I will start flyering for my show. After my show, I will try to spend time watching shows/supporting my friends’ shows.

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

Asides from watching as many interesting and wild shows as possible, I also love spending the mornings hiking Aurhtur’s Seat – overlooking the magnificent view of the city of Edinburgh and just enjoying the highland winds.  

Ok, where is your favourite place to eat at the Fringe? 

Nanyang Malaysian Restaurant when I am homesick –  the food here is really really good. Also, Makar Mash Bar for Haggis. yum yum yum

Best thing about performing at the fringe?

Meeting like-minded performers and artists from all over the world and watching their arts. 

Top tips for travelling around the Fringe and getting to shows on time?

Never trust the estimated time of arrival given by Google Map because 8/10 you will get lost in Edinburgh – especially when the streets are layered with different levels and that is not obvious on the map.

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

An extra pair of good walking sneakers is needed because we need to walk a lot while flyering. 

A pair of jeans with a tighter waistline because you will lose weight from all the walking/flyering and being a struggling poor artist from overseas.

And a bottle of probiotics/fibers because I didn’t see a lot of veggie dishes in Edinburgh haha.

What’s the secret to successful flyering? 

Have a memorable/catchy one-liner intro when flyering. Be courteous and don’t be too pushy.

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

IG rickeerick or X at rickysimcomedy 

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

Dark, Heartfelt, Raunchy, Chaotic – is that three already? I can’t count