Comedy performer James Barr brings James Barr: Sorry I Hurt Your Son (Said My Ex to My Mum) to the Edinburgh Fringe 2025. Paul Levy talked with James about the origin story around this important piece of story-theatre.
James Barr: Sorry I Hurt Your Son (Said My Ex to My Mum) is a gritty serious-and-funny stand-up performance at Edinburgh Fringe 2025. The show is co-directed by Madeleine Parry. It draws from Barr’s personal experience of the aftermath of an abusive relationship, using the title based on a Christmas card his ex sent to Barr’s mother.
The narrative, according to James in his interview with Paul Levy, is direct and specific, focusing on themes of queer domestic abuse, online harassment, and the process of recovery in public view. Barr presents his story without promotional language, avoiding sentimentality and generic conclusions. Basically it has taken a few years to write, has evolved and is born of raw experience.
