Edinburgh Fringe Chats (#17): Cyrus Deboo, THERE’S SOMETHING SERIOUSLY WRONG WITH CYRUS

23 Jun

Conducted by Emmie for Theatre and Tonic.

As anticipation builds for the Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2025, we’re catching up with a range of exciting creatives preparing to bring their work to the world’s largest arts festival this August. In this series, we delve into the stories behind the shows, the inspiration driving the artists, and what audiences can expect. Today, we’re joined by Cyrus Deboo to chat about There’s Something Seriously Wrong With Cyrus.

1. Can you begin by telling us about There’s Something Seriously Wrong With Cyrus and what inspired it?

There's Something Seriously Wrong with Cyrus was born from growing up between worlds - caught between my immigrant parents' dreams and my own truth. The title came from all those moments when I felt like I didn't fit anywhere: too Persian for some spaces, too American for others, too queer for traditional expectations.

The inspiration crystallized when I realized I was using Madonna and Taylor Swift songs to translate my emotions - their music became this bridge between my cultural heritage and my authentic self. Madonna taught me about reinvention, while Taylor's storytelling helped me understand that every complicated feeling deserved to be heard.

What started as personal therapy became this multimedia journey celebrating the complexity of immigrant identity and queer experience. The show asks: what happens when 'something seriously wrong' is actually something beautifully, authentically right? It's about giving yourself permission to be seen and to live unapologetically in your truth."

2. What made you want to bring this work to the Fringe this year?

The Edinburgh Fringe feels like the perfect home for this story - it's where bold, authentic voices flourish and are discovered. But honestly, the timing feels urgent. At a moment when immigrant and LGBTQ+ voices are increasingly under attack, I want to stand on an international stage and say, 'Here we are, unapologetically.'

The Fringe attracts audiences hungry for diverse stories, and there's something beautifully defiant about bringing a story about an Indian-Persian gay man dancing to Taylor Swift to Scotland. It's exactly the kind of cultural collision that the Fringe celebrates - where the deeply personal becomes universally resonant. I want audiences to leave feeling permission to embrace their own beautiful expression.

3. How would you describe the show in three words?

Hilarious, heartfelt, unapologetic

4. What do you hope audiences take away from watching your performance?

"I hope audiences leave feeling permission - permission to be complicated, to exist in multiple identities at once, and to find joy in their own contradictions. If someone walks out thinking, 'Maybe I don't have to choose between honouring my family and being true to myself,' then I've done my job.

More than anything, I want people to feel less alone in their 'in-between' spaces. Whether you're navigating cultural expectations, sexuality, or just feeling like you don't fit neatly into any box, I hope this show reminds you that your story matters and deserves to be celebrated - Taylor Swift soundtrack and all.

And honestly? I hope they leave with a smile, maybe humming a Madonna or Taylor Swift song, but most importantly---feeling braver about living unapologetically in their own truth.

5. What’s your top tip for surviving the Fringe?

Have specific goals, work hard, be generous, remain open to surprises and embrace everything!

6. Where and when can people see your show?

There’s Something Seriously Wrong with Cyrus will play at The Penny at Gilded Balloon from 30 July - 25 (not 12,19 Aug). Tickets can be booked: https://tickets.gildedballoon.co.uk/event/14:5597/