‘Beyond the human meat sack’: Su Mi reveals 5 comedians’ imaginary friends
Fringe Magic
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Fringe Magic 〰️
Image: Michael Julings
It’s time for Edinburgh Fringe 2025, and with it, our annual feature series! This year, we’re celebrating the special, unique Fringe moments — the ones that feel like pure MAGIC…
By Su Mi
Healing the inner child can take many forms: Hearing Gina G spontaneously on the radio and reliving that time you sat on a bus in your own sick (happened to a friend ..). Or eating hubba bubba tape in your mid 30s fully aware that there is only one option, which is to devour it in one long swoop.
There are many advisors and guides in our lifetimes, whose sole purpose is to make us aware of the insidious and dark reckonings that seek to destroy our innocence, and obviously helping us to avoid them like the bubonic plague (do we? Sometimes). I’m talking about more than your average school guidance counselor or your drunk uncle who is always armed with unsolicited advice. I’m going beyond the human meat sack realm. I’m talking about…
~The Imaginary Friend~
The friend who can make sure that you ate ALL your mud pie or taught you the best ways to prank your older siblings. The friend who would watch Disney with you, and knew all the characters you secretly wanted to bone (spoiler: It's Aladdin, Ursula etc.) The friend who was there but also not there, but also soOoOo there.
Now, I'm a muthaphuckin’ expert in child’s play, so I’ve asked several comedians who their imaginary friends were growing up and, holy hell, what a bunch of freaks.
So Marty Gleeson, who was your invisi-buddy growing up?
I had a friend called Egg. He would do little dances and I would try and copy him. He would shout and say, ‘AGAIN! Watch what I’m doing with my arms and legs, see how they move!!’ which was difficult because he had no arms and legs. His teaching style was harsh and strict but I knew he was hard on me because he believed in me and would say things like, ‘You could be electric SO BE ELECTRIC’ It got too much in the end so I ate him. Not a day goes by where I don’t think about Egg and am quietly grateful for instilling in me such a strong work ethic, to know I should never give up and to keep going. Thank you, Egg.
Sharon Wanjohi, spill the beans. Who did you see?
She was nameless. Pale white. Like I’m talking about paper sheet white and she wore white from head to toe apart from this white bandana with red polka dots. She adorned the CREEPIEST smile. I wouldn’t call her a friend, she was more of a nightmare-fuelled fever dream who would show up in my nightmares to torment me. I stopped seeing her in the corner of my room aged seven. And I hope I never see her again. Ever x
Sharon Wanjohi: In The House, Pleasance Courtyard, Bunker Two at 6.55pm
GOOD GOD, remind me never to ask again. Shalaka Kurup, you probably have something a lot less TERRIFYING…
Well my imaginary friend was called Nicholas. He was a slightly older boy and he looked like Aaron Carter, does that make sense? He had floppy brown hair, he was white – I don’t know why, I grew up in India. He looked like Percy Jackson, a standard generic white boy and he always wore a t-shirt with a long sleeve shirt underneath. He also always had a skateboard and we would go camping together even though I hated camping. Oh yeah and he was secretly in love with me, even though I was like six, so didn’t know what that meant. He was my boyfriend.
Shalaka Kurup: Get a grip, Pleasance Courtyard, Attic at 8:30pm
Now that’s more like it. Sweet puppy love. How about you Daniel McKeon?
My imaginary friend was called Jones. He was contained in an amulet that was also my Yu Gi Oh duel disk, a device I would sleep with every night in case I had to shell to protect their honour. They were needed to help me pull off Digestive heists in my school and home, for when I wanted a lemon slice or a Hob Nob or a Chocolate Finger without my family knowing. They were a kind of purple snake but cute not creepy, and had a wan smile like a wise uncle. The Digestives when broken up in my mouth would become the stepping stones to the dream dimension where we could unlock new realities that were just pale imitations of Star Wars, Guardians of the Galaxy, and other things. They taught me how to love but we never put a label on what we were.
Daniel McKeon: Boyboss, Just the Tonic, Wee One at 9:30pm
Corr blimey. This made completely no sense but perfect sense. Rohan Sharma, how about you, you mad dog?
Well actually, I never had imaginary friends myself but I used to always spend time with my Dad's imaginary friend Sticky Carlos. He looked exactly like my dad except with a thick Portuguese accent, and he used to yell 'put that in your pipe and smoke it' every time he saw a horse. He taught me the value of friendship and once out-bid the tooth fairy on one of my milk teeth.
Rohan Sharma: Mad Dog, Pleasance Courtyard, Below at 7:10pm
Su Mi: THISMOTHERPHUCKER is at Underbelly (Iron Belly) from July 31-August 24th, 6:40pm. Tickets here
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