EDINBURGH 2023: David Ian Q&A

BWW caught up with David Ian to chat about bringing (Just a) Perfect Gay to the 2023 Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

Tell us a bit about (Just a) Perfect Gay.

This show is me investigating why I am so obsessed with trying to be the perfect gay. At university When I lost my virginity I got a death threat from my flat mates and had to move out - which I think you might agree is not ideal, probably not the first thing you think of when you imagine losing your virginity! Anyway this kickstarted this thing in me that made me obsessed with the idea that if I was going to be gay, I had to be the PERFECT gay. Which is something that's pretty difficult to achieve, it turns out! So this is an exploration of how this came about, what it really means and why.

Why was this a story you wanted to tell?

I had a period where I thought I was the perfect gay and then a couple of things happened (including getting dumped) and all of a sudden I realised I wasn’t sure if I was. I felt like maybe I wasn't as perfect at this whole gay thing as I thought. That got me thinking about how this had all come about and suddenly I was going over all the stuff that had happened that got me to the point of being so obsessed with it. I went back over my history and was kind of shocked when I started going over it all. It's funny the things you forget when you're just busy getting on with your life. And now I want to tell everyone about it - to save them! I’m a warning! This story is relevant to everyone I think - not just gay people!

Is it difficult doing such personal material?

I actually think it is way more difficult than you realise at the start - well than I realised that's for sure! I think I thought it would be fairly easy as it's my own life and I've processed it all already. However to keep telling your personal story over and over again can take a bit of a toll - you don't necessarily want to talk about it all the time. Especially when you’re presenting it in a way that shows how funny and ridiculous it is. But on the other hand I genuinely think being able to laugh at it really helps process it and shows everyone how weird we all are. We’re all just busy living our own version of ridiculous and I think it's pretty useful to realise that everyone else is living like that as well. Your version of ridiculous is probably unique to you but you're not alone in it!

Who would you like to come and see it?

Cher, Dolly Parton and Beverley Knight. 

Given that those three wonderful ladies probably won’t be in Edinburgh at the time I’d also really love people to come who have ever felt like they maybe don’t fit in, they feel different, a bit on the outside. Or I guess anyone who's ever been dumped? Perfectionists. Gay people, Straight people. Anyone who wants a laugh. There’s something in it for everyone - not just gays but there is a lot for gays! I'd obviously love some queer and gay people to come but I'd also be really keen for some friends and relatives of LGBTQ+ people to come as I wonder if they might find the conversations interesting, maybe it would trigger conversations within their own lives!

What would you like audiences to take away from the show?

That ridiculousness should be embraced. That you don’t need to fit in and that far from being stuff to forget, it’s the tough stuff that makes us! Oh and anyone who doesn't know who Beverley Knight is I'd like them to come away and Google her... Oh and obviously that David Ian IS the Perfect Gay. If everyone could share that message that would be great. That's the whole reason why I'm doing this, to get that message out.

David Ian’s debut stand up show (Just a) Perfect Gay is at Just The Tonic @ The Caves - Just Upstairs at 9.05pm from 3rd – 27th August (not 14th) for tickets go to www.edfringe.com

Photo credit: Steve Ullathorne

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