Comedian Thanyia Moore is bringing her new show 'August' to the Edinburgh Fringe, which tells the story of the ectopic pregnancy she suffered just before her debut at the festival three years ago. The former dancer from London had been preparing a lighthearted hour for her first fringe run when she experienced a medical emergency. After showering before her first performance, she saw blood and recognised the signs of a miscarriage.
Moore was rushed to hospital and diagnosed with an ectopic pregnancy, requiring surgery in London. Despite the ordeal, she returned to Edinburgh to complete her run, telling fellow performers she had a groin injury from a dance number. She filled her schedule with up to nine shows a day, using humour and distraction to cope. 'I ignored concerned messages and kept busy,' she said. 'The other option was to stay at home with people telling me to rest.'
It took Moore a year to properly process her grief. She said she did not cry until the following year, after throwing herself into various therapies such as breath work and womb work. She admitted she had been grieving, questioning why her body did not function as expected. Writing the show gave her space to process, and she was determined to keep it funny. 'I was obsessed with not making it a sad show,' she said. 'I wanted the audience to feel safe to laugh.'
'August' opens next week at the Edinburgh Fringe. Moore hopes it shows that not everyone grieves in the same way, and that it's ok to find lightness in tragedy.
