Lou Fox
Mazel-tofu, bitch. In the Haus of Dy-lan, Japanese-Jewish heritage mingle with impressive vocals and even a backflip to create a polished stand-up performance interjected with original (although heavily Broadway-inspired) musical numbers.
Dylan Adler, who boasts millions of TikTok views on his surreal comedy videos alongside his twin brother (also gay, which is discussed to much hilarity in the show), lets us glimpse at his vulnerable side but ultimately lets gay pop culture take the reins: think death drops, vogueing and a near-constant reclamation of the f-word. Adler leaps off the small screen and into his debut Fringe run with an all-singing, all-dancing tour de force of comedy.
We are swept through re-imagined scenes of his life, from school bullies, to a risky road trip across Alabama, to therapy as an adult, to his grandfather’s deathbed where he can’t quite remember his Japanese (“gracias!”). All mentioned characters are dramatised and lovingly mocked (don’t get me started on the Kamikaze bit), and intermittent episodes are conjured up as musical theatre. A necessary mention is the song written about the Deep South of the US, which Adler recounts in detail having spent time touring a comedy show there. The first couple of verses go to subvert expectations of homophobes and bigots, detailing the existence of queer people deep in rural areas of Red states, before the third and final reminds us that stereotypes exist for a reason. This is Adler’s brand of comedy all over – put together cleverly, with a message and masses of theatrical energy, and lightly satirical enough not to alienate any members of a Fringe Festival audience. This means some lines ring a little predictable, but he is magnetically watchable from the first piano chord until the last Menzel/Erivo belt.
Certainly, the audience is likely to find resonance somewhere in between the keyboard, the kimono and the coming out stories. Perhaps it’ll be existing between cultures or heritage, or being an outsider at school with the feeling you’re destined for more, or your twin brother coming out to you a year or two before you, in turn, come out to him (right?) – something is going to stick. If nothing else, sheer vocal talent, piano-playing finesse and colourful lights will break even the sourest of faces – and the pacing is superb. If one bit doesn’t take, you’re offered another in its place immediately. Perfect for the low-attention spans, and for those really looking to get their value for money in laughs-per-minute. Like many comedy shows, it holds a lot of emotionally heavy content made light-ish, but where others are more self-conscious or self-deprecating, Adler is self-assured and totally ebullient.
Haus of Dy-lan (you’ll just have to catch it to enjoy the title fully) finishes like any feel-good musical theatre piece should: a medley recap of the songs we’ve enjoyed through the show, as well as some intricately woven lines that really do take the hour to pay off. Exuberant, piquant and just the right amount of camp: loads.
Recommended Drink: Tinto de verano – I think it’s Japanese?
Performances of Dylan Adler: Haus of Dy-lan have now concluded at Edinburgh Fringe 2025.
Jake Mace
Lamesha Ruddock
Jasmine Silk
