Brendan Scannell: The Abyss

Really funny, heartfelt storytelling. Brendan is both a charismatic jokester, with snappy, laugh-out-loud one-liners, but a thoughtful raconteur, weaving a story that's as hilarious as it is tragic. Felt all the feels. Highly recommend. One of the best hours I've ever experienced at the Hollywood Fringe in its years of existence.... full review

In The Abyss, Brendan Scannell offers the audience a deeply personal, hilarious, raw, open hearted, look into his life. Set on a submersible drifting downwards, Brendan confronts painful and difficult feelings about his and his family member’s struggles with mental illness. The show was beautifully written, excellently performed in a polished and professional package. ... full review

A really impactful show that will sit with me for a while. I haven’t laughed that hard in a long time, nor cried like that in a long time. Brendan has crafted something really special that I think will really resonate with a lot of people.... full review

The Abyss was brilliant. Brendan blew me away. The show was hilarious, moving, surprising, vulnerable, inventive…I laughed, I cried, I was inspired. Do not miss it. ... full review

Raw, personal, and hilarious, Brendan’s show will make you want to cry, laugh, and be a better sibling. ... full review

This should tour the world in theaters, conferences, university and beyond. The mental health perspective and the queer lens is rich. Brendan is unequivocally talented and brimming with heart. It's stand-up, solo show, drama wrapped up in one. ... full review

Brendan takes us to the depths of his personal and family trauma (yes, the abyss) with a thoughtful, laugh-out-loud blend of humor and heart. The show takes place in a sci-fi ready submersible but there's not an artificial note in this show, which excavates Brendan's own life choices and lays bare difficult family dynamics. In addition to writing and acting, The Abyss is also a showcase for Brendan's stand-up and physical comedy. Even during the heaviest material, it's a joy to watch someone use so many skills to deliver what is, at its core, an intelligent and very funny ode to empathy. ... full review

I was floored by this show. Brendan takes an impossibly heavy topic and makes it accessible and funny. ... full review

Brendan manages to be hysterical, vulnerable, and heartbreaking all at once. His storytelling is brilliantly funny and incisive, capturing the absurdity, pain, and profound relatability of our traumas with scary honesty. The Abyss stays with you long after it's over. There's something truly special—and unexpectedly comforting—about taking that journey with Brendan Scannell. A genuine talent.... full review

Funny, raw, well-structured, with a real payoff. ... full review