Mike Birbiglia: The Old Man and the Pool
Enjoy a hilarious coming of middle-age story with Mike Birbiglia The Old Man and the Pool tickets
Mike Birbiglia proves that laughter really is the best medicine with his new one-man comedy show, The Old Man and the Pool. After a hit Broadway season that had audiences aged 12-112 in stitches, the show is at Wyndham’s Theatre for a strictly limited four-week season this year.
“Broadway’s greatest comic storyteller” (Deadline) is asking the big questions: why are we here? What happens after we die? What are all the strange instruments at the doctor’s office and why do I suddenly need them?! Life, death, extremely chlorinated YMCA swimming pools and more are excavated to side-splitting effect as Birbiglia ponders over the way life changes when you hit a certain age.
The Old Man and the Pool was conceived after Mike Birbiglia’s doctor confirmed that he had inherited his family’s cardiac issues. The prescription? To adopt a healthier lifestyle. Birbiglia wasn’t so keen, especially where swimming was concerned. Great for the heart it may be, he nevertheless had bad memories from his youth…
The show played to sold-out audiences in the US before transferring to the West End, and is marked by Birbiglia’s trademark comic storytelling style, which weaves self-reflection through one-liners and zany anecdotes.
It is the latest in a long line of hugely successful work from the comedian, who is known for work on This American Life and The Moth, along with several previous stand-up shows. His award-winning musings on sleepwalking, Sleepwalk with Me, marked his directorial debut after being adapted from the live show.
Failing bodies in a failing world might sound scary, but The Old Man and the Pool is here to lighten the load. Catch it in the West End from 12 September – 7 October 2023.
Child friendly?
The Old Man and the Pool is recommended for ages 12+.