One of our favourite shows at edfringe 2024 was Riki Lindhome’s ‘Dead Inside’, a powerful and moving comedy show about the performer’s fertility journey. So it was great to hear that the show is headed for an imminent run at London’s Soho Theatre. 

You may well have seen the show, or may be aware of Lindhome’s work as part of musical comedy duo Garfunkel And Oates, or of her prolific screen career that’s seen her appear in films like ‘Knives Out’ and ‘Million Dollar Baby’, plus US TV shows like ‘Wednesday’ and ‘Brooklyn Nine Nine’. 

I spoke to Riki to find out more about the show, what it’s like to create work about such a personal subject, and more about the creator herself. 

CM: Can you start by telling us what to expect from the show in terms of the content? What is it all about?  
RL: ‘Dead Inside’ is a one-woman musical comedy about my experience trying to have a baby. It blends stand-up, storytelling and original songs. It’s mostly a comedy but also has sincere, very personal moments.

At its core, it’s about wanting something deeply, not being able to control the outcome, and trying to maintain a sense of humour through that. And it has funny, dirty songs. 

CM: This is a very personal topic, clearly: what made you decide to share your experiences like this? 
RL: It wasn’t a decision I made all at once. I started writing about what I was going through just as a way to process it. Comedy has always been how I make sense of things, so I would write a joke or a song, not thinking it would become anything larger.

Over time, I realised that the material was starting to have a throughline. It also became clear to me how little people were actually talking about this experience in an open way. I figured someone had to do it, so it might as well be me. 

CM: Was it hard to do? Cathartic?  
RL: At the beginning, it was definitely hard. There’s something vulnerable about taking a very personal experience and putting it in front of an audience.

But as I worked on it, it became less about reliving what happened and more about shaping it into something that could be shared. That shift made it feel more manageable.

There is a cathartic element to it, especially when you feel the audience connecting. But it’s not catharsis in the sense of processing it for the first time, it’s more about transforming it into something meaningful and communal.

CM: What is the aim of the show – clearly, to entertain – but are you also hoping to inform people? 
RL: The primary goal is to entertain. I always want the audience to feel like they’ve had a good time, which is why it’s a comedy. 

But I do think that when something is honest, it can also expand people’s understanding of an experience. So if audiences leave with a slightly different perspective, or feel less alone in something they’re going through, that’s incredibly meaningful to me.

It’s not about teaching or explaining. It’s more about sharing something real and letting people take from it what they will.

CM: How easy is it to make jokes about a painful subject? 
RL: It was definitely a difficult balance. But what I found is that a lot of the experiences in my fertility journey were inherently absurd.

I had so many moments that were strange, unexpected or surreal. That’s where the comedy comes from. It’s less about making light of the experience and more about recognising that even difficult situations often contain elements that are funny.

CM: Our ThreeWeeks reviewer saw the show in Edinburgh in 2024 and loved it. Did you enjoy the edfringe run? Would you go back to the Festival another time? 
RL: I loved Edinburgh. It’s a very intense experience, but it’s also incredibly valuable as a place to develop work. You’re performing every day, you’re getting immediate feedback, and you’re able to see what’s actually connecting with audiences.

It was where the show really found its shape. I learned a lot about pacing, tone and structure just from doing it repeatedly in that environment.

And yes, I would absolutely go back. It’s one of the few places where you can discover what a show is in real time, with audiences who are incredibly open and supportive. 

CM: Can you tell us a bit about your ‘back story’? How did you come to be pursuing an artistic career, was it what you always wanted to do? 
RL: I always wanted to be an actress and, when I was 21, I moved to Los Angeles to pursue it. About five years in, when I wasn’t having the kind of luck I’d hoped to have, I started trying out other art forms.

I wrote funny songs, made short films, wrote screenplays – anything I could think of to work on my creativity. It all started to finally come together when Garfunkel And Oates – my comedy band – happened. 

CM: You have a lot of strings to your bow, obviously, and as well as live shows you do lots of on screen performing and songwriting and more… is there one thing you enjoy more than the others? 
RL: Live performing is definitely the most fun. But I also feel so lucky that I get to do a lot of things. I truly love all of it and don’t take any of it for granted. 

CM: What have been the highlights of your career thus far? 
RL: Definitely ‘Dead Inside’. It might be my favorite thing I’ve ever done. In second place, it’s the show I created with Natasha Leggero, ‘Another Period’.

But I’d also say Garfunkel And Oates, ‘Wednesday’, ‘Last House On The Left’, ‘Pushing Daisies’ and ‘Million Dollar Baby’. All of those have been very meaningful to me. 

CM: What aims and ambitions do you have for the future?
RL: I’d like to continue making work that feels personal and specific, and to keep growing the scale of what I’m able to create. 

I’m really interested in projects that combine different forms – storytelling, music, comedy – and finding new ways to explore that. And also continuing to build on what this show has become and where it can go next.

CM: What’s coming up next for you after this? 
RL: After London, the plan is to continue developing ‘Dead Inside’ and bring it to new audiences. My hope is to do it in New York and then film it as a special.

Riki performs ‘Dead Inside’ at Soho Theatre from 31 Mar-18 Apr. See the venue website here for more info and to book tickets. 

LINKS: sohotheatre.com | rikilindhome.com | instagram.com/rikilindhome