by ⭐⭐⭐½
Born in Ottawa but based in New York City, Graham Kay is clearly still very much a Canadian at heart.
That’d likely be true even if it weren’t for his autistic brother, Pete, who manages to bring out the warmer side of Graham, whether he wants it or not. Graham wonders if he perhaps maybe wanted or should’ve become a father, but at this point, it might be too late, and besides, Pete makes everything better just by remaining a daily part of his life. Even when it means feeling forced to play Bert to his Ernie in their regular 10 a.m. WhatsApp calls. Because in a series of stories that are more charming than creepy, having Pete around shows Graham who the a-hole are and who’s cool based on how they react to his autistic brother.
Graham Kay is great at riffing, and quite comfortable with the awkward situations that might arise especially in an environment like the Fringe, where he described his venue as a “makeshift box in an abandoned school.” Perhaps Kay is too good and too comfortable with keeping things weird, because in the Fringe environment, starting your shows late and running several minutes later (as happened the day I attended) is just the kind of thing that might try a Fringe-goer’s patience. It might also make you empathize with anyone who lives with or loves someone with severe autism.
Graham Kay: “Pete and Me” plays at Gilded Balloon Patter House through the 2024 Edinburgh Fringe
