A hilarious one-woman “nightmare romcom” created and performed by Cecilia Corrigan, THE GAY DIVORCE is a fast-paced, laugh-forward comedy narrative unfolding over 60 minutes. First developed in 2025 at The Brick in Brooklyn, NY and at the Philadelphia Fringe Festival in 2025, we are bringing it to Edinburgh Fringe Festival for a full run this August!
The show invites the audience to explore what it means to be embarrassing and cringe today–to want or to hope a little too earnestly in a world that’s actively, cynically resistant to recognizing that earnestness. Itself “ecstatically cringe,” the work unpacks the patriarchal structures that haunt even queer, lesbian relationships, all through the tearful eyes of one broken-hearted trophy wife, as her dream gay wedding disintegrates into a haunted, glitter-soaked cabaret of horror tropes, Barbie-dreamhouse rituals, and romantic delusion.
Corrigan’s virtuosic solo performance blends tightly constructed vignettes with elements of drag, improv and chat shows to unleash a breakout roster of chaotic femme characters mined from the cultural ore of horror films, influencer culture, and public crashouts: think Pee-wee’s Playhouse via Mulholland Drive. A witch, a codependent Jesus, a postapocalyptic Real Housewife, even a very grumpy worm: these are a few of the characters who just want to feel successful or validated in the safety of their own queer utopia, however uncool, no matter the cost, even as the world burns around them.
With empathy for denial and escape, these bleakly funny moments punctuate the propulsively joyful comic engine of Corrigan’s spirited crowdwork, singing and dancing, and outrageous invention. A rocket-fueled hour of laughter, play, and provocation, THE GAY DIVORCE delivers the explosive, immersive, and raucous experience audiences are craving.
Learn More: https://www.ceciliacorrigan.com/the-gay-divorce