EDINBURGH 2023: Review: PATRICK SUSMILCH: TEXTS FROM MY DEAD FRIENDS, Just The Tonic At The Mash House

There are many different ways for one to express and get through their grief after losing a friend. Some people go through their phones, fondly looking back at photos and videos of times spent with that person. Some people reach out to other friends so they can help each other through the grief. Some go to therapy. And some make an hour-long comedy show for the Fringe.

Patrick Susmilch: Texts From My Dead Friends is Susmilch’s way of processing the loss of eight of his friends over a short period of time, using the messages from his friends that remain on the Internet to tell his story to the audience. Susmilch has a PowerPoint presentation hundreds of slides long with messages, photos, and even some videos that he uses to tell the stories of each friend, which typically end up intertwining in one way or another. 

Susmilch does an excellent job in illustrating his relationships with these friends, but it sometimes falls flat when most of the information is on a PowerPoint. At times it felt like I was back in high school watching a presentation from a fellow student, random memes thrown in and all. There were moments where I wished he would pause on slides and talk for longer about particular points in time, but I understand using the PowerPoint to show what’s left from his friends. 

Ultimately, Patrick Susmilch: Texts From My Dead Friends is a way for Susmilch to express his grief over losing his friends while still entertaining an audience.

I do believe that this is one of the Fringe shows that should not have been labeled as a comedy as it is more of a theatrical performance with jokes included, but it is still a good show.  It is difficult to watch at times, but Susmilch does his best to walk the line between grief and humour as much as possible. The jokes can be jarring but they are great, especially the final joke of the show that manages to make you laugh during an incredibly emotional moment.

I would love to see more of Susmilch’s comedic chops in a lighter show in the future. 

Patrick Susmilch: Texts From My Dead Friends runs at Just the Tonic at The Mash House, Just the Cask Room at 15:45 from 15 to 27 August.

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