Interview: Comedian Alex Edelman on Judaism, Internet Hate and his new show JUST FOR US at the Menier Chocolate Factory

"Most things that are serious deserve to be talked about"

What would you do if you were receiving hate on the Internet? Would you ignore it? Block and report the users attacking you? How about going to a White Nationalists meeting in New York City? For Alex Edelman, the American stand-up comedian, that was the answer.

Just For Us, Edelman's newest solo show coming to London on January 11, tells a relevant story about the world today through thought-provoking comedy.

Recently, BroadwayWorld had the chance to speak with Edelman about his show and what he's looking forward to when performing it in London, the place where the first workshop took place.

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How did you first get into stand-up comedy?

When I was a kid, I loved a guy named Brian Regan, and I was 16 or 17 when I started trying to do it. Brian Regan wasn't the only comedian - there was Mel Brooks and there were some others. But I started taking it a little more seriously when I went to England for the last semester of college and fell pretty hard into the Edinburgh-style comedy scene. Then after college, I started to give it a real go and things kind of came together!

So what made you want to create Just for Us?

I wanted a more interesting examination of the vicissitudes around my Jewish identity. Also, I had done this thing - I had gone to this meeting of white nationalists. When I was telling friends about it, they were like, "Oh, wow!" And the guy who I told about it before I was going, afterward, he went, "You know, that's something you should talk about." Then my director, Adam Brace, heard about it, and he had some interesting provocations. So it all builds from there.

Did you feel comfortable performing on stage and discussing not only the white nationalist meeting but your background and heritage as well?

Not really! I'm always uncomfortable discussing anything on stage, but sometimes I'll discuss something on stage and decide not to discuss too much of it. I'm a really big fan of a performer being disclosing and elusive at the same time, like Mike Birbiglia, who's the spiritual uncle of the show - he produced the run of it in New York and has had such a huge impact on it. He likes to say that comedy shows, solo shows, are poetry, not prose. And so I found a way of talking about things. There's a joke in the show about my romantic life, but it's a quiet joke that hints at something and doesn't quite get into it. I've poked my head out of my shell a little bit in certain ways.

I also am not of the school of thought that comedians shouldn't joke about serious topics. Most things that are serious deserve to be talked about. Someone said to me, "How do you feel about joking about antisemitism?" I was like, "It's too big a topic not to joke about. It's too serious not to joke about. We're living in this really weird, tough time - All topics that deserve discourse deserve to have comedy be part of the discourse. I think people think too lowly of comedy. They think that talking about something in a comedic way means that you're mocking it or you're not taking something seriously. Most of the things I joke about I take pretty seriously.

Do you hope that people will leave Just for Us and have discussions about what you've talked about on stage?

Absolutely, absolutely. I design things within the show to provide that. That's one of my favourite things about the show; sometimes I leave the show in DC and go to one of the few restaurants in the area that's open after 10pm and people will come up and be like, "Settle an argument for us." And I was like, "Nope. You guys are supposed to argue about this thing!"

I did my part - You paid to hear me talk. Now you do your thing.

Exactly! Sometimes I'll do two jokes that would support opposite points. It's not for me to say, it's for you guys to decide.

So you're currently performing the show in Washington, DC. Have you noticed a difference in audience reactions compared to New York?

Yeah, every audience is different from night to night. But DC has certain things they care about more and New York has things they care about more! London will have things they care about more within the show . . . It'll be fun. I love doing it in different places, different spots.

So you expect it to be different in the UK to the US?

Oh, yeah, for sure. And I'm excited! London is where the show started in a workshop way back in 2018. It's just this supreme joy to bring it "back home." It's really, really nice.

How did you come up with the unique cover art for the show?

It's one of the great artists of our time, Tristan Eaton. He's one of my very favourite artists, so I asked if he would do the art for the show and he said yes! It's just the best - It's so intricate and complicated. He's just so great. He's done all my art so far, but he's so busy that I have to wait months and months and months! But he's just the best at this.

So you've mentioned in previous interviews that this show is the work that you're proudest of. Why is that?

You know, it really resonated with people and it's a really complicated show. It's grown in many ways but it hasn't lost the original soul - It's deeply personal. It's had contributions from so many of my favourite comedians . . . comedians come and they offer notes, provocations, little lines, and performance wisdom. I love the show because I've grown as an artist and writer whilst doing it. And it's fun for people! People really laugh at the show, which is nice and I do something that people and peers seem to enjoy. I'm very proud of it! I want to make a good product that people really respond to, and I'm gonna put my best foot forward - This really feels like that. But also, I care a lot about the subject matter and people are interested in it. And it's not just Jews who are interested, it's non-Jews as well, which is really warming and thoughtful. I've been really enjoying it.

What's the best piece of advice you've received from fellow comedians?

Mike Birbiglia gave six notes, but they were all huge. He encouraged me to make the story the star a little bit more. I had all these jokes that I had done when I was workshopping the show and he stripped all of them away and I was like, "Mike, but they do really well!" He was like, "It doesn't matter. It's not related to the show." And I was like "But it's related to-" And he was like "You know." And he was right! No surprise to anyone who knows Mike Birbiglia or his work, but he's really, really smart.

And finally, how would you describe Just for Us in one word?

Entertaining. I think it's entertaining. That's one thing I want - People to be entertained. I'm sure people are gonna be like, "This motherfucker thinks he's entertaining!"

[Laughs]

But that's what it is!

Note: This interview, which has been edited for length and clarity, was conducted in December 2022 during the run of Just for Us in Washington, DC.

Just for Us will be running at Menier Chocolate Factory in London from 11 January to 26 February.

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