Comedian And TV/Radio Presenter James Barr Brings His Debut Show To The Edinburgh Fringe

The elusive One is out there waiting to be found. You deserve them. They are so special they'd fight dragons, climb towers and die for you if they had to.

If that's true, why is it most of us mere mortals are still navigating a bizarre cocktail of Disney and romcom fuelled aspirations, a disaster-zone dating scene and heinous Instagram 'thirst trap' pics? Is 'the one' even a real thing? Could it be we're busy labouring under an illusion society has flogged to us?

James Barr - as heard on Capital FM asking Justin Bieber about his penis - is here to debunk the lies about love we've been conditioned to believe... whilst dressed as an avocado. And trying to, for once, find himself a decent boyfriend ffs...

To start with, what is with those Instagram-Thirst-Traps?? Don't pretend you don't know what we are talking about. The photos you post of yourself looking kinda melancholic but also strangely sexy, often taken in black and white, coupled with a caption that evokes sympathy, all shamelessly intended to provoke posts asking if you're okay.

We've all been there. And most of us are almost definitely not okay.

James certainly has. After year upon tedious year of dating app fails, slutting around the UK, and falling for the wrong sorts of men, he's sick of being single. Thirst Trap invites audiences to figure out where it all went wrong (for James), and what impact all this horrendous hubris and desperation is having on our mental health. Dishing the dirt on a string of increasingly awful hook-ups and dating app douchebags, James takes an unflinchingly look inside his own mental health, covering with depth and sensitivity his (at times) suicidal thoughts as he honestly unpacks the detrimental pressures felt by a young, gay man looking for love. Ultimately the show advocates that the search for so-called 'true love' aside, perhaps our best and most fulfilling relationship is with ourselves.

Unpredictable (yet inevitably, disastrously awkward) Barr's Edinburgh debut takes a different path every night as he IRL tinder swipes his way through the room, inviting cute audience members up on stage for an intimate (if you don't mind the onlookers) date. The therapists-cum-dating pool sends James on an increasingly desperate, bitter and angry search for love that is at once hilarious to witness and highly relatable. Don't worry, straight audience members are aided with helpful explainers! Will he find a boyfriend by the time September comes around? Or will he be left longing? One thing's for sure, you'll never look at an avocado the same way again.

James Barr is a comedian, TV/radio presenter and one half of the UK's #1 LGBTQ+ comedy podcast A Gay and A NonGay (which is also playing for the last week of the Edinburgh Festival). The show won Best Comedy Podcast at the British Podcast Awards 2018. He recently opened for Stephen Bailey's UK tour and performed a work-in-progress at last year's Edinburgh Fringe. He's the host of MTV UK's new agony aunt format, Asking For A Friend. He's hosted Manchester and Brighton Pride festivals, red carpet content from the BRITs and has hosted on national radio including Capital FM, heat Radio and Hits Radio. Thirst Trap is also now in early development as a format with STV entertainment.

James Barr performs 'Thirst Trap' at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival from 1st - 25th August. For tickets and more information: https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/james-barr-thirst-trap

To post a comment, you must register and login.