Comedians Jessie Cave and Alfie Brown, who have been in an on-off relationship for a decade, are set to collaborate for the first time with a joint work-in-progress show at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe this summer. The couple, who have four children together, say the decision was partly financial: 'because flats in Edinburgh are extortionate and we needed to do an extra show to make enough money,' Brown joked. The show will explore their unconventional relationship, which began after a one-night stand that led to pregnancy.
Brown and Cave have a history of turning their personal lives into material. During their first breakup in 2018, both performed separate shows about each other at the Fringe. Cave's previous show, 'Sunrise', addressed being raped by her tennis coach at age 15, which she described as 'hopeful' rather than traumatic. 'I like talking about [my experience] because it normalises it,' she said. After her brother Ben died in a 2019 accident, Cave thought she might never perform again, but now feels ready to 'find joy and silliness in things again'.
Brown's new solo show, 'Open Hearted Human Enquiry', will address his experience of being 'cancelled' in 2023 after an old video resurfaced of him repeatedly using the N-word during a set about his mixed-race friend's use of the term. The video attracted over 250,000 views and criticism from fellow comedians. Brown apologised on X, calling his actions 'stupid' and 'wrong'. He has largely avoided discussing the incident publicly but says the show will explore the 'delicate and chaotic issue'.
Despite the challenges, both comedians remain committed to honesty on stage. 'It’s so fundamental to who we are,' Brown said. Cave added: 'I wouldn’t know how to do anything without talking about my life. So if it has been detrimental I’m doomed.' Their joint show, tentatively titled 'Before We Break Up Again', will also feature in the Fringe programme.
