Comedian Garrett Millerick Brings His New Show To The Edinburgh Fringe

Patrick Marber once said that by naming his play Closer after his favourite Joy Division album he hoped the tone of that work might rub off on his own project. In early 2018, and with that in mind, Garrett Millerick decided to name his upcoming Edinburgh show Sunflower. It didn't feel particularly significant at the time. Sunflower was to be a pure comedy show with no agendas, no left, no right and no sad stories - a show named after his favourite Beach Boys album and written to contrast the horror of world events.

A brutal rollercoaster of life events derailed this plan and Garrett had to rewrite the show into something else entirely in just a few weeks. The Sunflower that emerged in August instead became a testament to the power of comedy to carry us through whatever life throws at us and became one of the hottest tickets at the festival and one of the most talked about and critically acclaimed comedy shows of the year.

When Garrett was asked to name his follow up show, he immediately knew the answer. In 1967 Brian Wilson was attempting to write and record an album to top his greatest creative achievement to date. The enormity of the task got the better of him and he suffered a breakdown, shelved the sessions, and became a drug addled recluse for the next twenty years. That album, and Garrett's show, are called SMiLE.

What began as an offhand joke with his producer in December is shaping up to be a self-fulfilling prophecy.

In the few months since writing began on SMiLE Garrett's wife has resolutely refused to nearly die. Currently all his family members are in rude good health and even the dog is looking particularly chipper. Which is a shame apparently, because a television producer recently informed Garrett that it would be career suicide to attempt to do an hour of joke-driven stand up in SMiLE when Sunflower had been so celebrated for how it handled tragedy. He was adamant - something really horrible to happen at the forty-minute mark. Ideally even more horrible than last year. But nothing tragic has happened so far. So can the follow-up possibly satisfy?

What was obviously a horrible piece of advice from a morally bankrupt flesh sack did however set in motion the core idea of SMiLE. The global obsession with being unhappy. We've never had it so good, and they are getting better every day, in statistically provable, concrete evidence-based ways. But ask anyone you meet and we're the least happy people in the history of the earth. Why are human beings so obsessed with tragedy and why have we become the glass half-full generation?

So what started as joke about The Beach Boys has become a fitting title for a show that promises to be a very funny look at happiness, perspective and seeing the best in everything.

Garrett Millerick is an acclaimed stand-up comedian, writer and director. He is an increasing force to be reckoned with on the UK Circuit and in the few short years since debuting in new act competitions he has established a reputation as one of the standout live acts of his generation, earlier this year being nominated for the Chortle Breakthrough Act Award. As well as being in demand on both the alternative and club circuits in the UK, Garrett's stand up has seen him tour Europe, Australia and Asia and his debut radio sitcom Do Gooders was recently recorded for Amazon's Audible platform with an all-star cast featuring Jack Dee and Meera Syal and produced by Hat Trick Productions. It is currently being developed for television.

Garrett Millerick performs 'Smile' at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival from 1st - 25th August. For tickets and more information: https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/garrett-millerick-smile

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