FRIEND (The One With Gunther)

As seen at sell-out Edinburgh Fringe seasons, 2019 & 2021.

Made international debut at Adelaide Fringe 2020.

Debut London season at Wilton’s Music Hall, 8 – 13 November 2021.

 

Written and performed by Brendan Murphy
Directed by Hamish MacDougall

The entirety of cult sitcom Friends – all 10 seasons and 236 episodes – in just one hour! The Edinburgh Fringe will host the world premiere of this new solo show from acclaimed comic actor Brendan Murphy, reimagining the TV classic through the eyes of barista Gunther, who will welcome audiences to a specially created coffee shop venue at Edinburgh International Conference Centre.

On arriving at the unique venue, which is being opened exclusively for the strictly limited run of FRIEND, ticketholders will be invited to grab a coffee and settle down in Gunther’s café, to hear the true insider story of what happened to Ross, Rachel, Phoebe, Chandler, Monica and Joey – from the one Friends character who kept them caffeinated through all of the highs, lows, love affairs and failed auditions along the way, in this comic parody created and performed by Brendan Murphy.

Writer and performer Brendan Murphy’s credits include The Crown Dual (King’s Head), The Crooners (Pleasance Edinburgh), Potted Potter (US Tour and CAA Theatre, Toronto), King Kong – A Comedy (The Vaults), Twelfth Night (Orange Tree Theatre), Enter the Bagman (Gilded Balloon), Knightmare Live (Uderbelly, Southbank Centre), Lost Property (Soho Theatre), The Adventure (Lyric Hammersmith, Royal Exchange), Accomplice (Menier Chocolate Factory) and Newsrevue (Pleasance Edinburgh). At this year’s Fringe, he also appears in The Crown Dual and BattleActs, both at Gilded Balloon.

‘Virtuoso’
Guardian

‘Excellent comic timing.’
Broadway Baby

‘Riotously funny! Expressions as malleable as putty.’
ThreeWeeks

 

Director Hamish MacDougall’s recent credits include The War Of The Worlds (New Diorama/North Wall /Tour), Willy by William Andrews (Soho/Pleasance) Hammerhead by Joseph Morpurgo (Soho/Southbank /Pleasance/Tour and winner of The Brighton Comedy Award and Pleasance Best Comedy Show 2018) Soothing Sounds For Baby by Joseph Morpurgo (Soho/Pleasance and nominated for Edinburgh Comedy Award, named as Time Out number one comedy show of the year) Life and Rhymes by Abandoman (Udderbelly/Edinburgh/Soho/Melbourne), The 24 Hour Plays (Old Vic), The Narcissist which he co-wrote with Graham Dickson (Underbelly/ Amsterdam/BAC) and Zoo by Lily Bevan (Theatre503).