Coming Out to Dead People
by Ricky Sim
May. 16 - May. 17
Friday-Saturday
“Coming Out To Dead People’ is an autobiographical comedy solo show written and performed by Ricky and based on his experience as a closeted gay teenager immigrating to the US with his mother, shortly before his mother's diagnosis of cancer. Combining stand-up and storytelling, the show explores his time growing up as a gaysian in the noughties, learning how to keep his first boyfriend with the help of the reggae rapper Sean Paul, while grappling with the decision to come out to his conservative Chinese-Malaysian mother. The show navigates the complexity of coming out, alongside the intersection of racial and cultural identity.Facing impending loss, Ricky is forced to reconcile the two worlds he grew up in and to question the meanings of grief, family love, and acceptance.
Following his sold-out engagements and multiple rave reviews from its run in the 2023 Edinburgh Fringe Festival, its Off-West End Soho Theatre debut, Flushing/Queens-based stand-up comedian and storyteller Ricky Sim brings his critically acclaimed hour ‘Coming Out To Dead People’ to debut in Austin at Coldtowne Theater.
Ricky has performed Coming Out to Dead People to sold-out out audiences across New York, London, Kuala Lumpur (where he had to perform in a secret/queer-safe space). During his successful Edinburgh run, the show was included in the “Ultimate List of LGBTQ Shows at Edinburgh Fringe” by Forbes and featured in a BBC Radio show segment. Coming Out to Dead People was selected as one of the 2024 OFFFEST Finalists by the Offies (The Off-West End Theatre Award). He has opened for Julia Scotti (America’s Got Talent) and Marcia Belsky (Comedy Central) and was featured in New York Comedy Festival, New York Queer Comedy Festival, and Asian Comedy Festival.
Ricky Sim (he/him) is a lawyer-turned-comedian originally from Kuala Lumpur and is currently living with his partner in New York City. As somebody born with cleft-palate and a gay immigrant who grew up in a working-class neighborhood of Queens, Ricky is passionate about writing and highlighting complex stories and struggles that are usually underrepresented in the mainstream media.
As a comedy writer, Ricky was selected to be the 2021 recipient of The PIT/Saturday Night Live (SNL) Scholarship, which is co-sponsored by Saturday Night Live. With the comedy pilot that he co-wrote, he was selected as the 2023 Fellow of the Yes And…Laughter Lab, which is a competitive incubation lab, pitch program, and showcase that lifts up the best comedy writers and performers who create new comedy about topics that matter, with a focus on BIPOC, immigrant, Muslim, LGBTQ, and female talent.
Coming Out to Dead People is directed by Ryan Cunningham (she/her), who is a queer Emmy & Peabody award-winning producer & director. Her directing credits include Sugar Daddy (SoHo Playhouse/Soho Theatre), Club Cumming Presents a Queer Comedy Extravaganza! (Showtime) hosted by Alan Cumming, Ilana Glazer: The Planet is Burning (Amazon), Expecting Amy (HBO Max), and the upcoming feature Lone Wolves. TV Producing credits: Broad City, Search Party, Inside Amy Schumer & Ziwe.
WATCH TRAILER HERE: https://youtu.be/JQtOmO_cZAc?si=RKHm58JRpTj1EflZ
Coming Out to Dead People
by Ricky Sim
Ricky Sim
May 16 - May 17, 2025
May 16 - 17, 2025
Coldtowne Theatre, 1700 East 2nd St., Austin
