“It’s so nice to not meet those stereotypes of people thinking it’s going to be a queer trauma show”
BY ELLA GAUCI, IMAGE BY MATT CROCKETT
British stand-up star Sarah Keyworth will be bringing their exciting new show My Eyes Are Up Here to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe this year. Charting their experience getting top surgery, this joyful new show explores ideas of family, acceptance and identity.
Known for their viral interactions with audiences as well as appearances on shows like Mock The Week, Sarah Keyworth has been bringing their unique wit and charm to our stages ever since they were nominated as Best Newcomer at the Edinburgh Comedy Awards in 2018.
While a comedy show about top surgery may not immediately sound too cheery, Sarah told DIVA that this show will be one of pure queer joy. “It’s trickier in some ways because it’s harder to get people to laugh at you when you’re happy because a lot of comedy is self-deprecating and lowering your status. It’s so nice to not meet those stereotypes of people thinking it’s going to be a queer trauma show about rejection or struggling to come to terms with something. There’s none of that in it.”
They added: “I think it’s really important to talk about that stuff on stage. It’s the fastest and best route to communicating with people who don’t understand you. If you can make somebody laugh, then they’re already seeing you as a human being rather than just a thing that they don’t get. There were nerves about [coming out] as I didn’t want to say the words ‘I identify as non-binary’ and see the eyes of half the audience glaze over.”
With so much hostility directed towards the trans community right now, Sarah’s show will be a powerful reminder that we are all deserving of queer joy.
“A lot of the people who have prejudices about trans people or non-binary people have never actually met a human being who is kind and polite and engaging,” Sarah continued. “They haven’t spoken to someone on a human level. Sometimes they just picture this non-existent, rampaging activist who can’t engage in any other conversation.”
You can see Sarah at this year’s Edinburgh Fringe by booking your ticket here.
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