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NYC-based stand-up Ashley Gavin warns us early on that she knows she looks ridiculous when she cries as well as just how she dresses like a teenage boy onstage. But her show already forewarned us that not only does Gavin have a therapist, but that she probably has a new one now for obviously dark reasons. So yes, there will be crying.
But it’s mostly happy tears, for all of our sakes.
Gavin’s mom put her in a tuxedo at age 5, according to her recollection of a home video (not shown), but that same mother also put her into therapy when she was only four years old. Her therapist, Fred, became her surrogate dad when her real father died when she was still only 11. Gavin already knew she wanted to be a performer. She ditched her dreams, however, after her dad’s death and only rekindled her interest in the arts after turning 18. Of course, the heart of this hour revolves around not just how she deals with her own family, but also how Fred’s death impacted her in ways she couldn’t have expected.
Now grown and established as a comedian (this is Gavin’s Edinburgh debut, but she has almost a million views of her first stand-up special, released to YouTube last year. She also has 1.4 million TikTok followers, avid fans of her crowd work clips.
She knows she can’t ever be her own dad or heal her mom. But therapy has worked for her, as well as running, meditation, and talking to strangers. Talking to Fred helped her talk to audience members as a stand-up comedian. Along the way, it’s also taught her about the importance of building community. And she’s aggressively good at it.
Gavin says that as a neurotic New Yorker, she’s always needing validation, which makes her both a good slut and a good comedian. This hour will leave you definitely attesting to the latter.
Ashley Gavin “My Therapist Is Dying” plays at Pleasance Courtyard through the 2024 Edinburgh Fringe
