August 8, 2026 Fest
Edinburgh Fringe Q&A: Sid Singh
Comedian Sid Singh discusses his new show Love Bombing, about his date with a stalker.If you reviewed your own show, how would you describe it?A heartfelt and funny way to use the true story of my date with a stalker to discuss the ever so current feelings of burnout and helplessness.Tell me a little more about your show and what audiences can expect?I’m a human rights lawyer turned comedian who has spent the last seven years coming to the fringe and writing political comedy shows that aim to be funny first while also being cathartic! I like to take on the challenge of making dark topics funny in order to get the audience to reckon with those topics in the first place. I know that can often feel like you’re about to walk into a 60 minute lecture, but I promise you, the reason I was named Best Performer in 2023 at the Comedian’s Choice Awards and nominated for best show each of the last two years I was at the Fringe is because I’m very good at this, even if I’m not very good at much else.Can you talk about some of the creative team involved?It can be very demoralising realisng that other comedians can afford to pay thousands of pounds for directors and writers and choreographers to turn their show into some sort of multimedia experience. Personally, on my shows the entire creative team is just me. I give 50 percent of my salary at the end of the Fringe to The Center for Gender and Refugee Studies, so I really can’t afford to hire directors or writers or collaborators! Where do you draw inspiration from for your work, both in terms of creation and performance?My shows are inspired by political comedians like John Oliver and Jon Stewart and my source material for topics is inspired by the amazing asylum charities such as The Center for Gender and Refugee Studies as well as Al Otro Lado. They fight the good fight and it inspires me to write shows that hopefully inspire the rest of us to join in. Looking at this production, how would you say it links to previous work personally and thematically?In so many ways, this is a completely different show from anything I’ve ever done. I felt so burnt out after all my previous shows, trying to raise money for causes I believed in and so…this year I threw caution to the wind and went on a date with my stalker! Why is this an important story to tell?I think a lot of people feel overwhelmed by the world right now. This is a show about the weirdest choice you can make when you’re that burnt out. I’m hoping my story makes people laugh in a way that gets them back into the fight! What would you like audiences to take away from seeing you at the Fringe?That no matter how crazy or dangerous or weird life gets, you can still make choices that impact the life you have and the world around you.Do you tend to take inspiration from events happening in the world around you in terms of your work? Do you think artists have a responsibility to respond to what’s happening?Yes I think that you do your audience a disservice when you avoid reality. If an observational comedian sees your house is on fire, and he instead chooses to tell you that shoes are weird, he’s not an observational comedian. He’s mentally ill.What do you do to relax in August?I hang out with the other performers over a pint and discuss life. Generally my friends and I are always touring and never crossing over so its actually quite nice when we get to all be in one city together! How do you feel about the current arts landscape in your country and your part in it? Does it excite you and inspire you to keep pushing the boat out?I think in the physical sense, venues have never been more plentiful and more open to giving comedian’s a chance to book and sell out their own show and that is wonderful and continuously inspiring all over the world. Simultaneously in order to sell those tickets, we often have to go viral online and online speech has never been more policed by the powers that be. Why are arts festivals such as the Fringe so important for international exchange?I think it’s the rare opportunity for middle class white people to meet people outside of their bubble. Ideas about race, class, and gender that rarely enter their bubble are suddenly presented to them en masse. I hope they watch these shows with an open mind.What can the wider arts community do to get more people involved in their specific disciplines?Just make places cheaper. That would go a lot further towards helping everyone involved continue to put up shows! Have you got your eye on any other shows that are part of the programme?So many! The Fringe is a great time to see art that doesn’t conform to your style! I personally recommend Mr. Thing at a paid venue and shows like Clayton Smith’s F*ck Donald Trump at a free venue as two shows that I’ve helped out on with a lot of charm and heart and great comedy! But beyond even those two, there are so many choices! Go challenge yourself and see something you’ve never seen before! What’s next for you and how are you feeling about the future in general?I’ll take my show on tour and continue to raise money for the Center for Gender and Refugee Studies. With the Trump Administration intent on murdering asylum seekers, and the British Government regardless of administration intent on helping them, it’s an uphill battle, but some things are worth fighting for! How can Edinburgh audiences keep up with you beyond the festival?Follow me @SidSinghisFunny on Instagram, Youtube, and TikTok. See you there! Anything else?The world is becoming a darker place. Don’t close your eyes to it. Find shows that make you laugh, heal, and join us in the fight. Click Here For Article