EDINBURGH 2022: David Ephgrave Q&A

BWW catches up with David Ephgrave to chat about bringing Good Grief to the 2022 Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

Tell us a bit about Good Grief.

It's a standup show about navigating the loss of people you love (a topic with 'comedy goldmine' written all over it). In my case, I lost my parents: one to good old-fashioned death - "classic" - and the other to the realisation it was a toxic relationship. Both parents were demanding in their way, but it wasn't until my dad died in 2019 that I realised the extent of the damage my mum's behaviour still caused me. Problems I thought had ended in childhood hadn't gone away, and it got so messy that we had to break contact. So the show's about coming to terms with two key figures leaving my life simultaneously and everything that went with it. But mostly, it's a tribute to my dad: a cantankerous git that I love to pieces, even though he could be a colossal pain in the proverbial; something he'd probably also say about me.

Why did you want to tell this story?

Partly to raise the thorny issue of death, which we can ironically spend a lifetime avoiding addressing as if sweeping it under the carpet will make it go away (spoiler: it won't). Thankfully, my dad's cancer progressed slow enough for us to be able to discuss his wishes and try to come to terms with the illness. Doing this went wholly against type: this was a man who kept an undiagnosed hernia a secret for thirty years because he was worried it might kill him, without grasping that a lump that's been there for three decades is probably nothing ominous. But talking through the tough stuff, even briefly, really helped.

I also want to push emotional abuse into the spotlight so more people know about it. I like using comedy to explore tough subjects. And having tackled depression in my last show in 2018, I thought I'd have a crack at dead dads and narcissism in 2022.

Do you think you know what to expect from the Fringe?

I hope so, though I won't tempt fate. Good Grief is my fourth solo show at Edinburgh and eighth time on the Fringe once you add my shows with Doggett & Ephgrave, so I should have the emotional tools to deal with it. It may throw me a bit to be back post-pandemic (he says like it's over), as I still feel like I've barely left the house. And some of the subject matter is still raw, though I'll try to leave the tough stuff at the venue each day. The hills will be a shock, though, as I'm considerably fatter than on my last visit; I call it my stress baby.

Who would you like to come and see it?

Anyone who has a parent, or had a parent, or is a parent, or has seen the word 'parent' written down at some point. I'd also like people who plan to die one day to swing by. And if you've suffered emotional abuse, you might appreciate it. But Priti Patel isn't welcome as her soulless, crocodilian smarm would zap all joy from the room.

What would you like audiences to take away from it?

I'd like them to leave feeling like they've met my dad and have a handle on his personality. And if anyone wants to take away the emotional baggage that goes with being raised by a narcissist, they're more than welcome to it.

Venue: Just The Tonic @ The Caves (Venue 88)

Dates: 4th to 28th August 2018 (not 15th or 22nd)

Time: 2:40pm (3:40pm)

Sponsored content

To post a comment, you must register and login.