At the 2019 Edinburgh Fringe - Sid Singh is Inspiring interview

Written by: Si Hawkins
Published: Tuesday 20th August 2019

One of the things you hear often when it comes to Edinburgh Fringe comedy shows is the 'takehome', that special extra element that - hopefully - sticks with you afterwards. There aren't many shows with a takehome as powerful as Sid Singh's.

The forthright American comic has a radical manifesto for progressive, liberal types in the audience: learn to hate. Everybody else is at, after all, and they keep winning the elections. You just need to hate the right people. Play them at their own game. And he has some fascinating suggestions for ways to do it.

Singh is impressively bold. That 'learn to hate' idea pricks the ears, as on the surface it seems almost the opposite to the message coming from most Fringe performers: all that peace, love and understanding. He's a lawyer: he just wants to beat the bad guys. And he helped beat Donald Trump back in January, in court. He puts his money - or at least his voluntary man-hours - where his mouth is.

Meanwhile he also encourages another idea that may seem at odds with the ethos of an arts festival: that we should all embrace mediocrity. Everyone is painted as a hero or villain nowadays, especially immigrants, which is harmful and unrealistic. Indeed, his own status seems to be up in the air; hence the show title.

American Refugee is full of fascinating things, and Singh is a genial host, even handing round water before the show: if he's going to trap people in an attic, he's going to treat them well.

Now let's treat him to a few questions.

Was there a particular outcome you were aiming for, when you started putting together this show?

The goal I had in mind was to make people feel like they could help the world, without feeling overwhelmed with all the various problems of the world.

The show feels like a call to arms - could we all be doing more?

We could all do more to change things. Our first step should be to understand why we have to help each other in the first place. Once society understands how we were created, we will have less respect for the people in power and more respect for our ability to change things, when we come together as a group.

Your 'learn to hate' theme is very powerful - have you had any particularly interesting post-show discussions?

So many social workers and human rights workers have come up to me after the show. They all mention that the UK is not as bad as the US when it comes to immigration detention centres, but that as a result, no one mentions that those centres that do exist in London are pretty bad. There are detention centres next to Heathrow that are really, really bad. They deserve to be mentioned, and the UK deserves to treat refugees better. Do not let American malfeasance be your guide!

I like your 'mediocre is good' message - but is that a tough idea to sell at an arts festival?

Listen, arts festivals are full of liberals looking for agreement and conservatives pretending to be edgy. Telling people that the problems they face are not complicated and that the solutions they need are simple (but being ignored in order to pretend you're not complicit) is never going to be a fun sell for people who want to hear about how their heroes (like them) feel helpless (which then allows them to feel better about not doing anything to help).

But if you want to be a real artist, why settle for the idea that there are no answers? I would rather be a tough sell than lazy.

Are there transferable skills between law and stand-up?

Lawyers and stand-ups are both adept at framing an issue, and explaining why it's important.

The story of you coming to the UK is really interesting - do you think you will be around for the Fringe next year?

I have been very lucky that I have been given the opportunity to tell people how to fight against people like Trump. The 'big four' paid venues all specifically rejected my show, and in ten years of comedy, I've never had management or an agent. Everything I've ever had has been because of word of mouth and my peers believing in me. That allowed me to speak out at this Fringe, and I hope it allows me to continue my fight next Fringe as well.

Your bucket speech was very interesting - could you tell us more about the organisation you are contributing towards?

The Center for Gender and Refugee Studies is an amazing organisation. My time raising money for them has been so lucky. They actively help gain clients their asylum and they deserve all the help they can get. If you'd like to donate to them, head to CGRS.uchastings.edu! They could use the money and they will spend it fighting the good fight!

Do you have any recommendations for other shows we should catch at the Fringe?

Watch shows that rejuvenate you, teach you, or challenge you. I recommend Jena Friedman, Ed Night, and any show that seems like you'd hate it. Experience the unknown, because in the end, you deserve to have more points of view shared with you.