At four, Otter was so moved by Princess Diana’s death that he wept outside the palace while his father took pictures and laughed. Trapped in a vortex of man-children, Otter still feels broken. Through a sassy mix of stand-up, storytelling and musical comedy, Otter learns to make peace with racism in the gay community and love himself. Like all good fairytales, Otter’s story contains a difficult childhood, a wicked stepmother, an animal sidekick and emotional singing! Disney stans will recognize parodies of The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, Hercules and Frozen, but with more foreplay.
Would you mind giving us a brief insight into what your show is?
I keep calling Princess Syndrome, a gaysian coming-of-age fairytale. It’s my origin story and a parody cabaret that spans my childhood, my adolescence, my coming out, and my very messy love life. It’s ultimately a story of self-care and self-love!
Tell us about the creative team and the process involved?
I devised the show alongside my excellent director Joanna Simmons. She has extensive experience with both theatre and comedy and has a bunch of fun shows coming to EdFringe this year, including The Best Man Show with Mark Vigeant. I wrote the show in the fall of 2023 and have been revising and rehearsing it with her guidance. I’ve been eagerly workshopping the material across comedy clubs and bar spots in London and NYC, building the piece bit by glorious bit! I actually thought that the whole process would take twice as long, but by the holidays, we were getting Princess Syndrome on its feet!
How does it feel coming to the Fringe?
I adore the Fringe–I call it Summer Camp for broken people! Performing for audiences from all over Europe and the world, networking with comedians and artists you’d never meet back home, and flirting with rugged Scottish lads, I am truly in my element here. This year, however, I must take care to not strain my voice or body. I’ve done shorter sets and compilation shows the past two summers, but with my debut, I really have to rest as much as possible! During 2022’s Fringe, I actually got so exhausted and burnt out that I went to a clinic in Glasgow to get an IV drip like a Kardashian! My friend Isabella Charlton who also has a great show this year, My Dad and the Nanny, and I were running around, drinking coconut water, trying to revive our destroyed bodies with one week left. Can’t be doing that this time!
There are over 3,000 shows at the Fringe. So, what sets your show apart?
My show is not your typical stand-up hour or debut because it combines storytelling with musical comedy and plenty of jokes. I would characterize my style as darkly absurd with a focus on my upbringing and love life as a gay Chinese–American. It doesn’t go for the obvious jokes and also delves into many of the stereotypes associated with gaysians! It’s also a love letter to children of the 90’s with nods and mentions to Princess Diana, Anastasia, The Little Mermaid, Pokémon, and Dungeons and Dragons! Even if you don’t get the pop culture references, it’s oozing with trauma and sass!
Is there anything specific you’re hoping the audience will take away?
Besides me? I’d love if someone took me home! Better yet, put a ring on it! America’s a total mess right now and I’ll happily move to the UK! If we’re being serious though, I want audiences to walk away feeling uplifted and untethered. I was performing at a Uni in London and had an audience member come up to me and explain that she hadn’t worked up the courage to come out to her family yet, but that my songs and bits inspired her. Of course I want people to laugh but if they leave with hope or a greater sense of strength in them–well, it wouldn’t get better than that for me!
Your ideal audience is in attendance, who’s watching? Or more importantly – who isn’t there…
My ideal audience: girls, gays, and husbands looking to stray! Young people, queer people, allies, other performing artists, and straight people yearning for something silly and spontaneous! I’m honestly pretty much open to anyone being there–except my daddy maybe haha! Please don’t tell him I’m doing this–he can come to my second Fringe show about being a good doctor and lawyer or something!
It’s an intense month, so where you’re able, how do you plan to relax, and are there any other shows you intend to see or want to recommend?
I’ll definitely be grabbing a bite at my favourite Edinburgh restaurant Blonde–a truly sumptuous set lunch with classic and modern Scottish fare! Trying new restaurants always brings me joy, but I need to make sure I don’t spend all my box office earnings I yummy treats haha! Maybe a spa day too? The only day we have off is the one right after my birthday, so I’m looking for something relaxing and dazzling!
I have lots of friends from London and NYC that I promised I would ! I’m a very active and attentive audience member, but seeing performances is not really what I would consider leisure. Still, sometimes someone will captivate me while flyering and I will feel I have to attend their show. I’ve made some of my dearest friends through that!
All in all, I really want to make sure I am not overscheduled and leave plenty of room for resting and strolling the city. Maybe I’ll finally make it to Arthur’s Seat or one of the beaches this time!
In your ideal world, how can we improve the Fringe, of performance, and the industry?
Maybe it’s self-serving but I want more diversity initiatives and funding for LGBTQIA+ performers, BIPOC performers, and folks journeying from outside the UK! A lot of the minority showcases and meet-ups I’ve attended have had to come from an individual’s grass roots efforts, usually at great expense. Anything to expand accessibility for both performers and audiences would be a huge boon for the festival! Maybe more ways to contact the so-called industry titans and tastemakers to show up or be seated at random shows. I want a British TV star to be able wander into a completely unknown Malaysian performer’s clown performance! Make the festival less of a pure networking event and more of a free-for-all!
My wish for the Fringe and its artists is for us to stop putting so many expectations on ourselves to make the next Fleabag or Baby Reindeer. Produce and stage work that brings you delight and strive to get an audience for that! Sometimes it feels like we are all in competition with one another, but artists should be supporting artists!
Otter Lee: Princess Syndrome runs at Just the Tonic at Cabaret Voltaire
Runs until August 26th on select dates
Photo Credit – Steve Ullathorne
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