Drew Michael: Drew's Adventures ★★★★★

Always expect the unexpected, and certainly during Edinburgh’s Fringe. Such as a show featuring a comedian who writes for Saturday Night Live, with two HBO specials under their belt that, whilst having many moments of humour, reveals a deeply personal journey of loss, grief and ultimately, self-discovery. For that is exactly what Drew Michael’s Fringe debut delivers, with remarkable effect.

Certainly, Drew’s Adventures begins in the mould of a traditional hour of stand up, with Michael humorously exploring our love/hate relationship with mobile phones, and the insecurity that is generated when expected messages don’t come, say, following an initial date. “There is no affirmation in silence” he wryly observes. And this is where the show starts to pivot. For Michael reveals that he was diagnosed with hearing loss aged four, with his mother’s emotional reaction to this news making him determined not to be “different” by being fitted with hearing aids.

What follows is the audience being invited to share Drew’s Adventures from Michael facing an emotionally-dysfunctional upbringing, to contending with hearing loss that grows increasingly more severe as he moves into adulthood. And all whilst being in denial about how his disability is impacting him emotionally and in terms of how he relates to those around him. The staging is key to the audience journey, with technology being inventively used to illustrate how Michael hears, and the internal conversations this frequently generates. At several points so emotionally intense is the narrative that the “audience” actually voice-messages Michael to check he is OK.

The climax of the show, and Michael’s journey, occurs when he finally accepts that his coping mechanisms for not hearing are no longer adequate and he needs to do something to address this. And in a highly moving, closing monologue he reveals the impact of his actions, inviting the audience to also examine whether there are things they too hide from and need to tackle. For, as previously stated, there is no affirmation in silence.