New York comic Gianmarco Soresi has become a favourite guest on the US talk show circuit. But for his new Fringe show Theater Adult he is bringing something different – a love letter to the theatre.
He tells Entertainment Now why he fell in love with the Fringe after doing his debut show last year – and why, as a high maintenance male, he’s terrified of Scottish food and drink,
Tell us about your show. Why should we go and see it?
My show is called Theatre Adult, you should see it if you used to do theatre, you still do theatre, you’ve always wanted to do theatre, you teach theatre, you quit theatre, you were raised in a religious household where theatre was the work of the devil. Maybe you’re doing theatre so much you’re putting up a show at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and you haven’t realised it’s time to call it quits. You should go see it because you get a chance to finally just joke about what a miserable life it is, and what a beautiful experience it is to love it as a kid, and to wax comically about the days before you knew you didn’t have the talent you thought you would someday possess.
What is your favourite thing about your show?
My favourite thing about the show is that I really get to talk to people with a more specific shared experience than when I do stand up comedy around the country. I have to come up with stories and things that a lot of people could relate to. This show gives me the excuse to be a little more niche, a little more specific. To have a reference to Neil Simon or Steven Sondheim or just someone who knows what it’s like to be behind the curtain, just gives me room to share some stories that I’ve always wanted to share and tell some jokes that I don’t need to overexplain the setup for.
Do you have a Fringe idol?
My Fringe Idol is Natalie Palamides. Everytime I see her work, I find myself cursing myself for what a coward I am for not taking risks on stage. She puts together such incredible pieces that feel inventive and challenging. Everything I’ve seen always flips gender on its head that leaves me just in awe of how one person could exude so many different qualities of the human experience all in one show.
What three words best describe your performance style – and why?
I would say theatrical, mean, and hopeful, because theatrical obviously being loud, being Italian, gestures. Mean, because I love comedy with an edge, with some teeth. I’m bitter, I’m envious, I’m disappointed. But there is a deep sense of love. My girlfriend told me this piece is a love letter to theatre despite myself.
Who are you looking forward to seeing in Edinburgh?
I’m really looking forward to seeing Demi Adejuyigbe, who I’ve worked with in America, and just incredible musical – to say musical comedy seems too trite. He creates these thought experiments and brings them to life with this plethora of talents, including musical ones, that always make you go “How do you know how to do so many things? So I can’t wait to see that. I can’t wait to see my friend Geoffrey Asmus, incredible standup comedian. And so many comedians I’m really looking forward to seeing, so hopefully I can fit them all in.
What do you hope to achieve in Edinburgh – what are your hopes and dreams?
I hope to achieve just fine-tuning this show, taking risks, exploring. I have an element of the show that is crowd work based and improvisational and I want to use that to find new moments that I can gradually find a show that’s somewhat more repeatable but still has pockets of spontaneity, but in a more controlled way that I could perhaps take to on off-Broadway run, where they want you to be a little stricter with the script.
What are the biggest obstacles you face as a performer at the Fringe?
I’m flying in the day of the first show, I’m meeting my music director my first show, I will have run the show maybe once, and there’s just so much to do there. I’m going to have to really find space by myself amidst running into people I know to just fine-tune every single day. I want to make sure that every show, honestly, will be infinitely better than the first one.
What do you hope the audience will take away after an hour in your company?
I want the audience to take away that the arts are important, that theatre is not just for a specific narrow vision of what a theatre kid is, theatre is a place to really discover who you are and your place in the world. And to maybe find the pockets of their life as adults that they can express themselves like school provided them when they were younger, so that they don’t become f’*cking politicians.
How do you plan to relax and recharge when not on stage?
It’s gonna be a nightmare. The food there is not that healthy, and it’s so busy, all the workout classes are full. So no rest, no relaxation. This is what it is, I’m just trying to not lose my voice by the end.
What is your idea of a perfect Fringe day?
Perfect Fringe day I think is performing one show, see two, and they’re both great. If it’s a show before my show, I need at least four hours before my show. Maybe some stand-up, and at least one clown show. It’s complicated, you asked for perfection, and that’s not what I’m used to.
Gianmarco Soresi, Theater Adult, 19.40, Underbelly Cow Barn, August 17 – 30
https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/gianmarco-soresi-theater-adult-wip
