Episode #507: Garry Starr

Blink and you might’ve missed Damien Warren-Smith’s Netflix debut, making a brief cameo onstage during the Stamptown variety comedy special. But New Yorkers can see all of him in the fall of 2026 as he has made his Off-Broadway debut with Garry Starr: Classic Penguins, a hit show at the 2024 Edinburgh Fringe and winner of best show at the 2025 Melbourne International Comedy Festival. Classic Penguins began its run September 3, 2026, at Studio Seaview just off of Times Square on West 43rd Street. Before becoming Garry Starr, Damien Warren-Smith was a young TV actor in his native Australia and a theatre actor in the UK. He sat down with me over Zoom to talk about finding his inner clown both during and after his time atÉcole Philippe Gaulier, lending his name and money to the ISH Edinburgh Comedy Awards, and why he enjoys living without social media, whilst still having a social media team so he’s not distracted from the process of making new shows and art. There’s a lot to get to, so let’s get to it!