REVIEW: Michael John Ciszewski: Mother, Superior, EdFringe 2026 ★★★★

Canonising your own mother as a saint is no easy endeavour – especially when she’s still perfectly alive and leaving you voicemails ahead of your Fringe show. Michael John Ciszewski’s candid, intimate hour of comedy storytelling sees him take to the stage of the Bedlam Theatre (of course, formerly a church), to reach out to the Catholic God themselves to make the case that Sophie Ciszewski deserves all the hype of a saint. In a kaleidoscopic hour taking us from his Greek Orthodox upbringing, through his fascinating relationship to the World Trade Centre as a teenager, and into his mother’s devoted career of allyship to the queer community, Ciszewski leaves no stone unturned.

Michael John is deftly unafraid of making stand-up its most theatrical, with expansive production design, conversations with papacy on the telephone, and his mother’s voice notes interweaved into the hour, there’s a real holistic approach that captures your complete attention. He has a unique cadence as a performer, finding the humour in the most human and relevant moments, that teeters between subtlety and clarity in equal measure. Happy to bare his soul on the stage, topics ranging from addiction through to the AIDS crisis are handled sensitively, with the comedic tension largely arising through the slightly tenuous concept of Ciszewski becoming the world’s first living saint.

Suspend your disbelief, however, and you’ll find a rich and engaging performance shining through. There are points where segues between certain stories could feel a little tighter, though the overall concept, carried through conversations with a representative of the Holy See on the phone, feel developed and polished. As Ciszewski first appears on stage, drenched in Edinburgh’s famous rain and wondering what stage of the career he has truly reached, the meta-theatrical elements of the piece slide into one another quite naturally.

There’s certainly not a moment wasted in this piece, which shines brightest in the earnest and sincere points of how both Ciszewski and his mother’s storied lives intertwine. Mother, Superior paints a vivid portrait of what it means to be ally, parent, carer and inspiration. Ciszewski puts together a vast array of topics from his life into something very digestible, very sweet, and at times very frank. Without pretence but high-concept, there’s no lack of joy on stage even in the weightiest of themes, and his buoyant persona brings you firmly along the journey. As an emerging comedian with fanbases both sides of the Atlantic, his self-aware takes on American stereotypes and the differing sense of humour either sides of the ocean is greatly refreshing.

Proud, particular, uninhibited and unbounding, Mother, Superior firmly showcases Michael John Ciszewski’s talents as a storyteller and comedian, in an eager love letter to the woman who clearly gives him so much vitality.

Recommended Drink: Pair this with Holy Communion Wine in a Duty Free Bag – to make sure you can get it through TSA.

You can catch Michael John Ciszewski: Mother, Superior at Auditorium at Bedlam Theatre until August 30th (not the 17th or 24th) from 14:00 (60mins). Tickets are available through the EdFringe Online Box Office.