This is Moses' true story of not only being raised in a cult but being raised in a profoundly unsuccessful doomsday cult.
American comic and star of HBO special Trash White (produced by none other than Conan O'Brien), Moses Storm will make his UK debut with 'Perfect Cult' at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.
This is Moses' true story of not only being raised in a cult but being raised in a profoundly unsuccessful doomsday cult.
Throughout his childhood and adolescence, Moses and his family were some of the very few members of a loose-knit, far-flung doomsday cult who spent their days street preaching, holding giant neon signs, and condemning people to a fiery eternity. Outside of rock shows, concerts, marathon finish lines, and parades, they roared that the world would end in a horrific apocalyptic hell at any minute - but if you joined the cult, you would be saved.
Started by Moses' great-uncle after he was concussed playing college football and claimed to have seen God, three families joined the cult initially, but whilst their recruitment drive was enthusiastic, it was largely futile. When approaching people in Walmart yelling, "You are headed for hell!" failed to draw in more followers, the original group started having a whole lot of children. "They just made members", says Moses. Which is how he came to be.
Growing up homeless and consistently believing the world was about to end, Moses developed a remarkable ability to find humour in his dark and unusual upbringing, primarily as a way of gaining attention over his four siblings but he never thought comedy would be a sustainable career choice.
His whole belief system came crumbling down in his teens when his upbringing was exposed to, in his words, 'a rational human being'. Everything unravelled, and he knew things had to change. Unable to get a job because of his lack of social skills and inability to read or write, he turned to the open mic scene in LA, thinking it would help him scrape by on his own in the big city.
Little did he know, it would become his way out of extreme poverty and Moses credits Conan O'Brien with changing his life - in more ways than one. As a child, Moses convinced his mother to sign him up for a home-school video programme granting him access to a TV and VCR. He then taped episodes of Late Night with Conan O'Brien over the educational Christian videos.
Now, in beautiful full-circle, Moses has appeared on Conan numerous times as a guest and performer, hosts Conan's live variety show Team Coco's Up & Up and has joined O'Brien on tour.
Now, he brings his fascinating tale to the Fringe, but be warned - there is a strong immersive element to this show. Moses will use common cult leader tactics, behaviours, and exercises to create the perfect one night only cult with YOU, the audience each night. Instilling uniformity and taking away personal identities, this is part comedy show, part indoctrination.
So, get ready to join the Perfect Cult.
Moses Storm: Perfect Cult will be performed at 10.20pm in Pleasance Courtyard (Beneath) from 2nd - 27th August (Not 16th)
Booking link: https://www.pleasance.co.uk/event/moses-storm-perfect-cult
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