Mike Birbiglia, a comedian with a charmingly disheveled appearance reminiscent of a groggy Matt Damon, is a multi-talented individual. Not only is he a filmmaker and actor, known for his work in movies like “Don’t Think Twice” and “The Fault in Our Stars,” but he has also recently starred in Taylor Swift’s music video for “Anti-Hero” as the selfish son left out of her will. Birbiglia is also the host of two popular podcasts, “The Old Ones” and “Working It Out,” where celebrity guests analyze his previous standup routines and assist him in developing new material. Nathan Lane, one of his guests, likened the experience to Tom Sawyer getting his friends to paint the fence.
Now, at the age of 45, Birbiglia is bringing his latest show, “The Old Man and the Pool,” to the UK after a successful run on Broadway. If he had his way, he would keep the show a mystery. He simply states, “I wrote a show about mortality and I guarantee you’ll laugh for 80 minutes straight. Sometimes, it may even evoke emotions, but trust me, I think you’ll love it.” Speaking from his Brooklyn apartment, with a lazily whirring ceiling fan above him that gives the illusion of propellers, Birbiglia exudes a laid-back charm.
Birbiglia already has millions of fans who trust and enjoy his work. This is his fifth show, and three of his previous shows – “My Girlfriend’s Boyfriend,” “Thank God for Jokes,” and “The New One” – are available as Netflix specials. His routines are personal and warm, filled with captivating phrases and clever observations. He often discusses his wife, poet J Hope Stein, describing her voice as having a “thread-count of 600.” Birbiglia also brings up relatable everyday situations, like the arrogance of the bed, and offers practical advice, such as valuing punctuality. His comedic plea against tardiness is simple yet sensible: “Being on time is as easy as being early – and ‘early’ lasts for hours.”
“The Old Man and the Pool” begins with a disastrous midlife health check. Birbiglia has had medical issues in the past, including bladder cancer at the age of 20 and a severe sleep-walking disorder that requires him to sleep in a zippered sleeping bag with mittens. In a sleepwalking episode prior to his diagnosis, he even jumped through a closed window on the second floor of his hotel.
This time around, his health concerns involve his lungs. His doctor, after asking him to blow into a tube, exclaimed that he appeared to be having a heart attack. When asked to perform the test a second time, the doctor was at a loss for words. The reason for concern lies with Birbiglia’s family history, as his father had his first heart attack in his 50s, and his grandfather tragically died from a heart attack around the same age. Reflecting on his grandfather’s death, Birbiglia remarks that passing away while working in a Brooklyn bodega, as his grandfather did, may be sad but also the funniest response one could have. The comedian sees his grandfather as the original humorist of their family, possessing an unparalleled level of comedic dedication.
To compound his troubles, Birbiglia received a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes. This leads to a tale in the show involving fear, panic, and begrudging exercise at his local YMCA. The show takes inspiration from this experience, using an eye-catching set with a towering, tiled tidal wave looming over Birbiglia, reminiscent of the pool of Damocles. His buoyant delivery and amiable nature lighten the weighty subject matter, although he slightly objects to the word “nice” in reference to his demeanor, preferring to be seen as “human” rather than simply pleasant.
“The Old Man and the Pool” also delves into the joys of domestic bliss. He and Stein have an eight-year-old daughter named Oona, whose birth was the focus of his previous show, “The New One.” Oona’s whimsical conversations make an appearance in the latest production, providing a lighthearted touch without venturing into cliched “kids-say-the-funniest-things” territory. Birbiglia proudly wears a bracelet made by Oona, spelling out the word “silly,” reminding him to sprinkle his musings on death with moments of silliness.
With his latest show, Birbiglia manages to make audiences laugh heartily while contemplating their own mortality. All of his shows explore the importance of fearlessness in being honest with loved ones and how this honesty can bring us closer together. “The Old Man and the Pool” serves as the ultimate icebreaker, inviting profound conversations between audience members after the show. If there was ever a time to connect deeply with the person sitting beside you, it is after experiencing this performance. Catch “The Old Man and the Pool” at Underbelly, Bristo Square, Edinburgh, from 22 to 27 August, and at Wyndham’s theatre, London, from 12 September to 7 October.
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