“In 2023 I booked a karaoke booth of a room and did a 45 minute work in progress every day at 11 am with no budget and no ads and hardly any flyering, and I sold out every day on the strength of the show. Somehow I actually made money.”
WHO: Michael Kunze
WHAT: “Michael Kunze is actor Mitch Coony in this Hollywood odyssey, where you’re only ever one hit away from a Tom Hanks sex party. A character comedy featuring sketches, songs and top-notch nonsense. Michael Kunze is an OffComm winning comic performer. His show Lil Saffron: Ragu to Riches received five-star reviews at 2022 Edinburgh Fringe and transferred to Soho Theatre. ***** (EdFringeReview.com). **** (MusicalTheatreReview.com). **** (ThePhoenixRemix.com). ‘Comedy master’ (TheReviewsHub.com). Directed by Lee Griffiths, Fringe First-winner (Lorenzo) and Edinburgh Newcomer nominee (Late Night Gimp Fight).”
WHERE: Underbelly, Cowgate – Delhi Belly (Venue 61)
WHEN: 12:55 (60 min)
MORE: Click Here!
Is this your first time to Edinburgh?
I’ve been to Edinburgh many times, mostly for the fringe. My first was way back in 2017 when I lived in Ireland and my improv group “Tickled by Freaks” (I know) came for a week of sold out shows at Barbados Tiki Bar in a room that was a death trap. It was wild. We had no idea what to expect – it was overwhelming and wonderful and bizarre.
We made beer money on the door and felt like kings. Since then I’ve been back every year, and I brought my first scripted show in 2022, the musical comedy “Lil Saffron: Ragu to Riches”, a show about a rapping pasta chef that did very well for itself, and ended up transferring to Soho Theatre in London. Now I’m back with my debut solo hour.
Edinburgh during the fringe is intoxicating, there’s so much creativity and energy in the air. You walk down the street and see the funniest people you’ll ever meet in your life, and in tiny sweaty rooms you see people take amazing creative risks. It’s so inspiring.
What are the big things you’ve learned since 2023 and have you absorbed any of the lessons yet?
In 2023, I tried to do the opposite of what I did in 2022, when I brought my first scripted show up and it was very stressful and I made so many mistakes (Venue, room size, showtime, spending money on things that did nothing for me). So in 2023 I booked a karaoke booth of a room and did a 45 minute work in progress every day at 11 am with no budget and no ads and hardly any flyering, and I sold out every day on the strength of the show. Somehow I actually made money.
This will be my last fringe for a while (starting a family), so I just want to embrace the joy of it all. Life is short, and performing comedy is a gift, and I want to make the most of that while I still can. This summer is all about joy for me, and sharing laughter with everyone who comes to my show.
Tell us about your show.
I wrote my show! I’m the performer and writer and producer and caterer and everything else. I did get an amazing director, the wonderful Lee Griffiths, who has pushed me to make my show better than I ever could have imagined. My show, “Michael Kunze: Infinity Mirror” is about the rise and fall of an actor in Hollywood, his quest for fame and the things he gives up along the way.
It’s silly and very fun, but in many not so subtle ways it’s a personal story. As an artist I’ve had to make sacrifices to chase my dreams, and there’s many nights where you wonder what might’ve been if you’d made decisions other than the ones you ended up making. I don’t have any regrets, and have had a very lucky life, and the show is about celebrating that and looking forward to what’s to come.
I’ve done the show countless times as a work in progress for nearly a year now, so am hoping to bring what is its final form to Edinburgh. My fondest wish is that people like it and I’m able to tour it afterwards to various places in the UK. I’m originally from near San Francisco in the states, and would love to have a beautiful show to bring back and show my friends and family there what I’ve been doing with my life.
What should your audience see at the festivals after they’ve seen your show?
There is so much on at Fringe! I’ve been so lucky to make so many wonderful friends who are doing their own cool shows, so please go see the following (multiple times):
Mandeep Singh’s “Singing in the Rain”, Posey Mehta’s “Mitzi Fitz”, Suchandrika Chakrabarti’s “Doomscrolling”, “My Brain is Soup Your Hands are the Spoons” by Chris East, “Crimelandtown” by Ben Goldsmith. “Dr. Doolittle Kills a Man and Reads Excerpts From his New Book”, Andrew Doherty’s “Gay Witch Sex Cult”. I’m sorry if I forgot you but I’m gonna stop typing now even though there’s so much more.
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