Shay Mace
Content Warning: Discussion of Genocide & Serious Illness
Hike, the grandson of Armenian genocide survivors, was expected to marry a girl from his tribe. Instead, he met his dream man and adopted a bouncing biracial baby – he’s put his story together into his upcoming Edinburgh Festival Fringe show Best. Dad. NEVER., following his journey from coming of age, to becoming a career counsellor, to a queer parent, and latterly, creating a one person show. We caught up with Hike for a pixelated pint to unpack his story, and find out what audiences can expect this August.
You can catch Best. Dad. NEVER. at Just The Cask Room at Just The Tonic at The Mash House on August 6th – 30th (not the 18th) from 13:05 (60mins). Tickets are available through the EdFringe Online Box Office.
Shay: Hi Hike! Your upcoming EdFringe show follows your story of marrying your dream man and adopting a ‘bouncing biracial baby’ – tell us all about creating autobiographical theatre, and why you decided to bring this story to the stage.
Hike: I’m bringing to the stage a story that I haven’t heard before. It’s about striving to raise a self-confident Black biracial daughter yet coming up against my scars as a gay Armenian-American. I’d done theatre as a teenager, but left it to become something more practical: a career counsellor. Loving the raw vulnerability of solo shows, I’d dreamed of “one day” following in the footsteps of monologists like Jerrod Carmichael and Alex Edelman. But when does that day arrive?
Short answer: after a delicious dish of sushi brought on unrelenting food poisoning, ER doctors discovered a mass in my brain. The tumor was benign, thank heavens, yet I needed an operation to extract it from my skull. I wouldn’t say brain surgery was my first choice for how I’d finally get off my bum and create a one person show. But it did the trick, and I’m grateful.
Shay: How has the creative process been of putting the show together? Give us an idea of the journey you’ve been on with it so far.
Hike: I’ve been a nervous wreck putting Best. Dad. NEVER. together. The show’s been evolving since the first draft, and “killing my darlings”—as Sir Arthur Quiller-Couch called deleting your favorite lines that don’t serve the piece—has been torture. But there are only so many jokes that can fit into 60 minutes. My show was inspired by personal essays I published in the New York Times, Washington Post, and Oprah Magazine, and hearing early audiences refer to it as a TED talk felt like a splash of cold water on my face. I’m eager to bring to Edinburgh the current version with its balance of humor and pathos.
Shay: What will be the first thing the audience sees, feels, and hears as they enter the space?
Hike: There’s a bar near the entrance, so the audience will definitely feel that the party’s on. They’ll hear a handful of pop songs–both the hits and deep cuts of my favorite artists–related to my show’s themes. And they’ll likely see a mysterious bare stage. I’m keeping the details of my entrance under wraps.
Shay: What are you hoping the audience might take away from the experience, if anything?
Hike: Oh so much. A window into queer parenting today. A gruesome Armenian history lesson. And still a lingering tickle in their funny bones. I should say, parenting is really a point of departure for me to reveal the recesses of the human heart. I hope by getting a glimpse into one dad’s whole, flawed, self, the audience will come to see themselves more easily in others. And come away with more love.
Shay: What journey has the show been on to find itself at EdFringe 2026?
Hike: It’s been a long time coming! In a way, I’ve been working on Best. Dad. NEVER. my whole life. The run up to EdFringe has been kind of rough. Most of my friends came to Best. Dad. NEVER.’s world premiere at Los Angeles’s Solofest and at the Hollywood Fringe last summer. I’ve since adapted the script to appeal more to British folks. But I don’t know anyone in Edinburgh. Playing to a house of strangers will be harrowing. And I can’t wait.
Shay: With EdFringe now just around the corner, what are you most excited for?
Hike: I’m eager to meet and engage with theatre-goers, especially since I hear the world’s biggest performing arts festival attracts the best audiences. Visiting Edinburgh for the first time, I’m beyond excited to take in the city’s historic sites, delicious eats–and drinks—and, oh, the odd show, or ten. As many as I can possibly see.
Shay: Given the themes of Binge Fringe, if your show was a beverage of any kind (alcoholic, non-alcoholic – be as creative as you like!), what would it be and why?
Hike: A nice pint of Guiness. A dad drink, of course. Like Best. Dad. NEVER. it’s frothy, complex in flavor, has a dark center, yet is light on top. It contains considerable micronutrients, and is utterly delicious. Cheers!
You can catch Best. Dad. NEVER. at Just The Cask Room at Just The Tonic at The Mash House on August 6th – 30th (not the 18th) from 13:05 (60mins). Tickets are available through the EdFringe Online Box Office.
Image Credit: Kim Newmoney
Roe McDonnell
