As a child who enjoyed bed and TV, my comedy career can be traced to my mother’s desperation to get me to participate in something, anything.
She found a camp that did not include swimming, hiking or making friendship bracelets. Instead we spent the week eating snacks and writing jokes. At the end of the week we did a little show for family and friends and
I killed! I had found my thing.
So I voluntarily signed up for another week. Miracle! I wrote a whole new set of jokes and absolutely bombed. Got heckled by my own grandmother! I guess she got caught up in the moment.
But I needed that thrill of the kill again – and the rest is… history?
Evan Murphy
Ladies Night
After I bombed at Comedy Camp week two, I needed to redeem myself. And I did – at Ladies Night in the basement of a downtown bar.
It was a two-drink minimum – and you needed a solid five minutes of material.
At 11 years old, barely four feet tall and wearing my signature pigtails, I was the “shock” comedy of the night.
I’m not sure anyone knew what to make of me. But laughs are laughs and from that moment on I felt like a real comedian.
Boston Women in Comedy Festival
My first actual paid gig was at the Boston Women in Comedy Festival.
I was on four shows. Three were great; I got to perform with seasoned comics. But my last show was humbling…
I was booked as the opening act for a clown show for children. My audience consisted of seven year olds and their younger siblings.
I may have been young but my jokes were dark. In fact, one of these jokes prompted a toddler to scream, “I don’t want to die!”
My takeaway: always be true to yourself – but it helps to also know your crowd, or you may cause a four year old to have an existential crisis – and that’s a heavy burden.
Evan Murphy
Before Your Very Eyes
I was cast in a show at the Public Theater in New York City called Before Your Very Eyes produced by the Gob Squad, during which myself and six other kids started out as children; smoked into adolescence; danced into middle age; stumbled into old age; and then died. We died eight times a week. It was brilliant!
Everything’s Gonna Be Okay
At 14, I was cast in the TV series, Everything’s Gonna Be Okay, by Josh Thomas. The new experience of acting for screen was exciting, but even more so getting to work with and know Josh.
He also started comedy quite young and his ability to walk the fine line between what is funny and what is both really tragic and hard speaks to me. He’s also got a show at the Fringe this year, called Let’s Tidy Up.
Evan Murphy
Too Many Buddhas
I co-wrote (with C Fraser Press – my work mom – I call her ‘mom’! Hi Mom!) and starred in, opposite the amazing Maria Bamford (hi Maria!), a short film called Too Many Buddhas.
This was my first time seeing some of my writing come to life through a character on screen.
Also, working with Maria is life changing. There is so much to learn from her totally original, authentic and inspired comedic instincts.
The film will have its Edinburgh premiere in August as part of the Nightpiece film fest – stay tuned for more info on that.
Failure Confetti
Please come see my Fringe show Failure Confetti because it’s about breaking out of the boxes we get put in and “fighting the system”, but in a really nice way, with stories about things like my grandmother wearing a wetsuit.
And when it’s done we will all love each other and feel better – and we all need love and to feel better!
Also there is a super cool surprise at the end. It’s at Assembly George Square Studio 4 from 13:20 to 14:20 – and accessible to all.
Book your tickets here.
