Michelle Brasier Brings New Solo Comedy Show IT’S A SHAME WE WON’T BE FRIENDS NEXT YEAR to Edinburgh Fringe

Award-winning comedian, singer, and actor Michelle Brasier (Ghosts Australia, Aunty Donna, Koala Man) returns to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe with her most introspective and audacious hour yet, It's a Shame We Won't Be Friends Next Year.

This gorgeous show is a rapid-fire burst of comedy, nostalgia, and original music which digs deep into the power of words, the anxiety they provoke, and the way they echo through our lives.

The show's title comes from a nine-word phrase spoken to Michelle by a boy from her Year 6 class in Australia: "It's a shame we won't be friends next year." He didn't want to risk being seen as weird by association when they started secondary school.

For decades, this one offhand comment lingered in Michelle's mind, becoming a touchstone for every moment of self-doubt and self-editing that followed. Now, a bad review and a case of bedbugs have turned up the volume on his pre-pubescent, ever-present voice in her head—reminding her that she is lower class and not worthy... and that her butt starts twice on one side.

Decades later, Michelle is tracking him down to confront the strange power that even small, careless words can wield. Does he even remember?

This brutally funny, musically rich show is a celebration of the freaks, the drama teachers who save the theatre nerds, and a battle cry for the weird kids to be kept safe today. It also details Michelle reaching out to a critic who had once given her a harsh review (her ONLY truly harsh review!) and having a really beautiful interaction with them. The show invites us to give each other a little grace and asks if we really do need to be putting star ratings on every single thing in our lives.

Once again joined on stage by her real-life partner Tim Lancaster, Brasier blends stand-up, storytelling, and powerhouse musical numbers, including the show's opening anthem I'd Really Like You to Like Me—a showcase for her unapologetically powerful vocal range.

The show features songs and rocket-paced rants on class, queerness, and of course, the Fast and the Furious franchise. Audiences can expect everything from heart-wrenching ballads to songs that produce tears of laughter, as well as plenty of the kind of chaotic, deeply relatable human moments that have made Michelle a favourite on stages from Melbourne to London.

Michelle Brasier is an actor, singer, comedian, and screenwriter best known for her work with comedy group Aunty Donna. She has appeared as a cast member on Shaun Micallef's Mad As Hell (ABC), Aunty Donna's Big Old House Of Fun (Netflix), Aunty Donna's Coffee Cafe (ABC), Koala Man (Disney+), and YOLO (HBO Max).

Her one-woman “comedy-as-philosophy” shows—Average Bear, Reform, and Legacy—have sold out seasons across Melbourne, Sydney, London, and Edinburgh. Her debut solo hour Average Bear sold out Soho Theatre (London) in 2023, Dynasty Typewriter (LA), and Soho Playhouse Off-Broadway (NYC) this March.

Michelle has won awards for her work including Best Writing (Green Room Awards), Director’s Choice (Melbourne Comedy Festival), and Sydney Comedy Festival Director’s Choice, as well as a coveted nomination for Most Outstanding Show.

Michelle's memoir, My Brother's Ashes Are In A Sandwich Bag, will be published in the UK in August 2025.

Michelle Brasier: It's A Shame We Won't Be Friends Next Year will be performed at 7.30pm in Gilded Balloon at the Museum from 30th July - 24th August (not 13th)

Booking link: https://tickets.gildedballoon.co.uk/event/14:5582/

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