Could you first introduce yourself to the reader?
Hi, my name is Otter Lee. I’m a NYC-born and raised comedian and actor that loves performing in my hometown, but makes frequent trips across the pond to perform in London. My heart is soaring and singing at the opportunity to bring my solo show “Otter Lee: Princess Syndrome” to Edinburgh this year.
How would you describe your show?
While Princess Syndrome is my debut stand-up hour, it also contains a treasure trove of Disney princess parody songs and some juicy stories from my dysfunctional family. I keep describing it as a gaysian coming-of-age fairytale. It’s a story of wanting to be accepted and adored, but having to claw for even a little bit of affection. I’d describe my style as darkly absurd with an emphasis on storytelling.
What is your favourite part of your show?
My audience members have told me that they find my songs particularly captivating because I’m taking childhood classics and transforming them to fit my messed-up history. I trained in musical theatre, but never really worked in that field after I finished schooling, so the chance to perform my favourite songs but make myself the princess is truly a fever dream come true! Not counting the songs, I would say I also love all the bits where I roast my many ex-boyfriends. It’s healing and humbling at the same time because many of those guys sound crazy, but I’m really roasting myself for dating them haha!
If your show had a theme song, what would it be and why?
I fell down a huge Eurovision rabbit hole in the Spring and really vibed with Fairytale by Alexander Rybek from the 2012 competition, so instead of picking one of the songs from my show very self-indulgently I’m going to go with the cute European boy, the violins, and the message about self-destructive relationships.
Are there any particular themes or messages you hope the audience takes away from your performance?
I believe that my story is a bit of a cautionary one about delving too much into fantasies and fairytales. It’s not terrible to have dreams about your future, but you have to pursue them responsibly. I spent so much of my twenties obsessed with finding a boyfriend, but since I’ve let go of that and focused on performing, life’s been a lot easier. I still meet loads of toxic guys, but I have the wisdom to be choosier now.
Why do you want to perform at Edinburgh Festival Fringe? What differentiates it from other festivals?
Why it’s the largest cultural festival in the world and I would be remiss to not add my unique voice to the cacophony of creativity. There are just so many people and acts and audience members and also tourists who are just there to see the castle and hate the idea of stand-up comedy. It’s a convergence of a lot of really wonderful things that ends up feeling like summer camp for broken people and I’m going to keep signing up!
How has your background, upbringing and education had an impact on your artistic career?
My mom was always singing songs and telling me stories when I was growing up. I truly believe that led me to have a high verbal IQ, an ear for pitch, and a relentless desire for attention. It’s like that theory of what happens when you play classical music for babies, but instead of Mozart, I got the story of Princess Diana and Charles and lots of Britney Spears!
Through secondary school to university, I trained in musical theatre, improv, classical acting, and voice acting. I like to say I’m classically trained and classically tacky! All of it definitely found its way into my stand-up career and my show. It’s made me very energetic and spontaneous in a way that differentiates me from other stand-ups. I learned that it’s better to pursue a variety of things that you love than it is to overspecialize in something. Before AI goes and replaces all of us, I’m going to sing songs about foreplay and my daddy issues while wearing a Princess Diana tartan, and nobody else can do that!
Can you describe your creative process and how you develop your ideas into a full-fledged performance?
My stand-up is a big part of how I process trauma, so most of it starts off as me venting about something crazy that happened to me. Once I’ve talked it out and processed the wild event, I can tell it as a story to my family and friends. When the story is sufficiently funny enough to grab their attention and amusement, then I know it’s worth turning into a bit and I start running it for audiences and other comedians. When my life’s going amazingly, I tend to find it harder to mine material. I also want to thank my director and collaborator Joanna Simmons for helping me shape and frame my jokes. She’ll pick up on a theme or throughline while we’re rehearsing and encourage me to expand on it. She’ll also be the first to tell me if something’s just too much or too dark. I showed her my stand-up in September and with her guidance, I had a first draft by December.
What is your favourite thing about performing for a live audience?
I love being able to engage with them during the show and after. That’s what makes live performance unlike anything else. You’re cultivating a relationship with these people, even for just a bit. And sometimes they wanna stay in touch. I guess I love being able to know if my audience was really delighted by my work during and after. Connection is such a wonderful thing. When I was working on Stephen Colbert: Presents Tooning Out the News, I got stopped by an unhoused person who was a huge fan of the show and recognized me, which was nice, but it’s also really nice to get praised for something you did by someone who was just right there. I’ve made dear friends and also met collaborators because they randomly popped into one of my shows.
What is the strangest thing that has ever happened to you while performing?
Oh gosh, I had an audience member come out as bisexual publicly during one of my sets, then ask me out during my set. The actual date we went on was pretty meh, but having someone live out loud in such a public way because of your work and vibe is a very big and flattering vote of confidence.
What's the most challenging or unconventional venue you've ever performed in, and how did it impact the overall experience?
I was performing at a Queens based comedy club in June and they had the presidential debate on full volume for their entire comedy show. It was extremely difficult to gain the audience’s attention and distract them from the sinking feeling. I remember just trying to laugh it off by saying “Welcome to new material night. If you wanna catch old material, night, you can listen to that at the bar. That’s the oldest material of all—the same material that’s been destroying this country!” I’m not really a political comedian, but calling out the discomfort in the room felt like, soooo punk rock!
Who are some of your artistic influences, and how have they shaped your work?
Julia Davis from Nighty Night, the early episodes of Glee, Stephanie Soo from the Rotten Mango True Crime podcast. Jennifer Coolidge. Wanda Sykes (that coming out as Black bit kickstarted a lot of my humour). And you know what? Alex Borstein as Miss Swan on MadTV is a national f***ing treasure. I’m Asian and I endorse that (Bobby Lee was great too when I was growing up)!
They’ve all taught me that cultivating a unique voice and having fun are the best ways to hone your craft. In my case, that’s being super extra and caring too much about everything. I also really enjoy bad movies. I’ve seen Madame Web five times!
Is there a piece of feedback you've received from an audience member or critic after a performance that’s stuck with you?
A really drunk white girl once when up to me and said “You can f*** my boyfriend if it means we hang out and get brunch!”
Is there a show you’re excited to see when you’re up there?
I’m mostly looking to be surprised. I don’t love being flyered, but sometimes, performers can really charm you while busking. I care less about content and more about natural charisma and magnetism. God, it sounds like I’m answering a singles ad when I put it like that, huh?
What do you hope to learn or achieve from your first Fringe experience, and how do you plan to apply it to your future work?
I hope to really find the perfect balance between giving the best performance I can and practising proper self-care. I believe that many artists (myself included) put too much pressure on themselves to not only perform, but also socialise, network, and promote in a fatigue-inducing spiral. I hope to be able to give it my all onstage, but not in a way that is detrimental to my physical or emotional health. I think sustainability and relaxation are the secret tools to success!
What would you say has been (potentially) the most useful piece of advice you’ve been given about taking a show to Edinburgh Fringe?
While this is my debut show, I’ve performed on smaller bills and compilation shows in the past, so I am thoroughly acquainted with the Fringe. The best advice I got was to flyer people the way you would want to be flyered. I got multiple full audiences by telling people “We’ve had too many ugly audience members at our last couple shows. Would love some really pretty folks in the front row tonight!” And I’m not even kidding when I say, we only had really really gorgeous looking audience members show up from that point on!
How do you plan to balance performing and exploring the vast array of other shows and events happening at the Fringe?
This is my first time doing a solo show, so I’m planning to do a handful of guest spots and see all of my friends’ shows, but I can’t afford to go out too late and run around town.
When and where can people see your show?
I’m at Just the Tonic’s Cabaret Voltaire, in the Liberty Room, this year. My show runs from 1st of August to the 25th with my day off on the 12th (coincidentally the day after my birthday)! 3:30 PM!
And where can people find you online.
I’m always posting bits, sketches, and show info on Instagram! Give me a follow @OtterLeeMoy That handle is mine across all social media platforms, but Instagram is my main one.
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