Acclaimed Canadian comedy duo Matt Baram (Umbrella Academy, Netflix; The Apprentice, StudioCanal) and Naomi Snieckus (Zombies, Disney; The Handmaid’s Tale, Hulu) bring their unique blend of storytelling and improvisation to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe with Big Stuff, a heartfelt and unexpectedly moving exploration of loss, memory and the objects we hold onto.
Directed by award-winning playwright and screenwriter Kat Sandler (Yaga), Big Stuff follows a couple rummaging through the clutter of a basement, uncovering not just forgotten belongings but the emotional weight attached to them. Drawing on their own experiences of losing their parents, Baram and Snieckus play versions of themselves as they confront the “stuff” left behind and the meaning it carries.
Blending sharp comedic timing with emotional honesty, the show captures the tension between wanting to let go and the urge to hold on. The production is heavily influenced by improvisation, with audiences invited to contribute their own “big stuff,” making each performance entirely unique as these personal items are woven into the narrative in real time.
Big Stuff has already proved a hit with audiences and critics, premiering to sold-out runs in Toronto before touring across Canada and earning acclaim for its balance of humour and emotional depth. Its universal themes and deeply personal approach resonate with audiences, ensuring no two performances are ever the same.
Matt Baram and Naomi Snieckus explain, “When we first began writing Big Stuff, we weren’t setting out to tell a story about grief at all. As comedians, we were trying to make sense of the strange, beautiful, and sometimes absurd things people leave behind; the objects, memories, habits, hereditary arthritis, unfinished jokes. But as we sifted through the ‘stuff,’ both literal and emotional, with help from our genius co-creator and director, Kat Sandler, we started to realise we were also writing a love letter to each other and to those we’ve lost.”
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They continue, “We built this piece together as life partners, creative collaborators, and clumsy humans trying to find meaning in the mess. And we hope that in the laughter, awkward silences, and surprising tenderness of this play, you recognise some of your own ‘big stuff’, too.”
With its mix of improvisation, humour and heartfelt storytelling, Big Stuff offers a deeply human theatrical experience that invites audiences to reflect on what we keep, what we lose, and why it matters.
Big Stuff runs at Assembly (Roxy Boxy) from 5 – 30 August (not 11 August) at 14:55. Tickets are on sale here
