New York-based performer Noah Seltzer is tackling the global loneliness epidemic with his Edinburgh show 'Here Comes Almost'. In 2023, the World Health Organisation labelled loneliness a pressing global health threat, with research showing it contributes to around one hundred deaths an hour.
Why isn't loneliness treated like a health crisis?
"If loneliness is a global health crisis, why don't we treat it like one?" asks Seltzer. He notes that while people talk about physical health openly, admitting loneliness still feels like admitting failure. "We live in a world that's more connected than ever, yet many of us seem more lonely than ever," he says, pointing to public transport where many stare at phones instead of their surroundings.
Personal journey with loneliness
After moving to New York, Seltzer experienced loneliness firsthand. Following university, he went on a healing journey and came into closer relationship with himself and his queerness. "It changed me but as a result, when I moved to New York, I didn't have any close connections," he recalls. "I would walk through the city on a Saturday, seeing groups of friends sitting on blankets in the park, and wonder: where is my group? Where are my friends?"
For the past four years, Seltzer has sat outside the Met with a typewriter and a sign reading "Ask me for a Poem." Through those interactions, he found that most people just want to be seen and for someone to really listen.
Finding connection through clowning
When Seltzer came to terms with his queerness and longing for connection, he started building deeper relationships. He discovered clowning and found people he could be his full self with. Still, he has nights alone on a Saturday, wondering about friends together in the city. "It's easy to feel like you're the only one without strong friendships or connections," he says. A recent encounter with a woman who spent most of the day alone in her apartment watching TV reminded him how hidden loneliness can be.
'Here Comes Almost' at Edinburgh Fringe
His show 'Here Comes Almost' features a clown called 'Almost', sent by the World Health Organisation to cure the global loneliness epidemic, one room full of strangers at a time. "It's an impossible mission, but that's the point," Seltzer explains. "I don't think one show can solve loneliness, but if people leave feeling a little less alone, that may be enough."
Audience members have said they felt seen, and some have asked to hang out afterwards. One woman from the Netherlands met him for hot chocolate after a show, sharing her own struggle to find connection in New York. Seltzer views his performances as rituals: a small way to help people feel less alone, even if only for an hour.
Clowning as a unique experience
"One of the wonderful things about clowning is that each show is unique, tailored to the room," he says. "Unlike traditional theatre, which happens in the 'there and then,' clown happens in the 'here and now.'" Sometimes he finds a connection, sometimes he struggles, sometimes they all laugh together. Performing this show has taught him that loneliness isn't unusual at all - it's just unusually difficult to admit. "The more openly we talk about it, the less power it has over us."
Noah will perform 'Here Comes Almost' at the Edinburgh Fringe, 9:30pm at Zoo Playground from 7 – 30 August.
