Actor, writer, comic and musician Deb Filler – who you may have seen performing at edfringe in relatively recent times – begins a run of her fab solo show ‘Cohen, Bernstein, Joni & Me’ at Upstairs At The Gatehouse this week. 

Filler, whose career has taken her from stage to screen and on tour around the globe, has a reputation for creating excellent, multi-character one-woman performances, so I reckon this is a show you don’t want to miss. 

This particular show sees Filler mining her own experiences of working in the world of entertainment, and is filled with stories of celeb encounters and survival. I wanted to find out more about the show, as well as more about Deb herself, so I put some questions to her ahead of opening night. 

CM: Can you start by telling us what audiences can expect from the show? How would you describe it in terms of style or genre? 
DF: Hello ThisWeek Culture! Thanks for asking. Great question. Come along expecting to laugh, and to hear actual, true stories about my fortuitous meetings with some of the greatest musical icons of the 20th Century.

Like? Like driving in New York with Leonard Cohen or smoking backstage with Joni Mitchell. There are songs, dirty Jewish jokes, even The Beatles in Yiddish. And more!

CM: It sounds like we’ll be enjoying some interesting vignettes – but is there an overarching narrative to the show?
DF: Again, interesting question because the stories are unforgettable and the narrative that connects them is Survival and Hope – using caps here because they – Survival and Hope – are more important today than ever before in my lifetime.

My dad, a Holocaust survivor – despite Auschwitz and so much more – somehow lacked bitterness. Extraordinarily, it was music that sustained him. 

Although I would NEVER dare compare my own journey to his, or that of any Holocaust survivor, sometimes our survival as artists can be gruelling. I had 42 jobs in New York, some of which appear in the show. 

‘On the other hand’ – yikes, that’s such a Jewish disclaimer! – humour and music has very much sustained me too. And because my Dad was a baker, his work ethic was profound – he set a high bar. 

The ethic of hard work and humour was also evident with all of the musicians I met. Onstage, backstage, offstage, at the top of their careers or at the bottom, their commitment was consistent. They worked hard. Really hard. Survival and Hope.

CM: Is it entirely based on true events or is there an element of artistic licence? 
DF: Yes, the stories are entirely based on true events. There is very little artistic licence, except perhaps to nail a joke here or there. You don’t need much artistic licence with a family like mine and stories like these! 

CM: What made you want to perform a show about your own life? 
DF: My life’s work really has been passing on that story, of survival.

I don’t think you can be born into a family that’s experienced transgenerational trauma and not be inspired by the subject. No matter the conflict, domestic or war, families who are torn asunder by trauma need to speak about it.  

So, it’s up to us storytellers, poets, dancers, theatre practitioners, filmmakers, writers, all of us who express – to TELL our stories.  

Turning tragedy into an uplifting story, one that offers hope and humour, is my bailiwick. I agree with the old adage: tragedy plus time equals comedy.

CM: Can you tell us about the creative process of putting the show together? 
DF: Yes, the show grew from stories told to friends, with hoots of laughter. It morphed from being about meeting famous people to including the wonderfully dramatic influence of my family. 

My terrific producer recognised the show’s potential and when he came on, that led to a successful Edinburgh season, and from there to Mitchell Cushman, a very talented director in Toronto. 

Any time there was a question, it was the truth that guided us. And then there is my wife, Francine. As a filmmaker she really informed the work too. There’s been a lot of getting ‘a leg up’ – lucky me! And now here we are, with my best stories! 

Best of all, I’ve had terrific audiences – all ages, backgrounds, who really relate to it. It’s most gratifying.

CM: What made you want to stage this in London now? 
DF: London is the centre of the theatre world for me. It’s the origin of Western theatre. Audiences here are sophisticated and knowledgeable and at the same time SO receptive to good humour and to a great story. 

I am gobsmacked as to how many people I have spoken to who say they’re coming to the show because they want to hear this story, they want to support theatre, support me and because they enjoy Upstairs At The Gatehouse. Or they saw me in Edinburgh or because of great word of mouth.  

London is a very nurturing place for live theatre.

CM: Can you tell us a bit about your previous solo shows? 
DF: Sure, I began performing characters during my time studying acting in New York at Uta Hagen’s school, and while I studied with Stella Adler – and what better place to unearth characters is there than New York City!

It was a way to delineate my work from other performers because although I had initially sought a career as a musician, now – look Mum! – I am doing both. 

This show has 37 characters, one more than the one that resulted in an unforgettable trip with my dad in 1990 which became a show with 36 characters, produced off Broadway. Eventually Francine made a film of it, ‘Punch Me In The Stomach’, which also toured Germany. So much healing took place for audiences during that tour.  

Later, I wrote ‘Filler Up’! with 27 characters, where I served challah to the audience. It addressed women, body image and the complications that can occur around food. Another solo, ‘I Lost It In Kiev’, and then I performed a touring show of dirty Jewish jokes. 

This show started as more of a stand-up piece that has grown and changed completely. London in 2026 is absolutely the icing on the cake! 

CM: How did you come to pursue a career as a performer? Was it what you always wanted to do? 
DF: I came out of the womb singing! My maternal grandmother was steeped in classical music – particularly opera. My Dad loved music of all kinds and encouraged me to sing, and to play the guitar. New Zealand was far away from his culture and his stories fascinated me. 

But it was my mother who was my North Star. She was so clever, rewriting lyrics to song favourites which she had me and my sister sing at every family gathering and community event. 

My sister couldn’t wait to get away from all that, but I was drawn to it, drawn to the positive energy, the inclusivity and joy. It’s been my life. I was bitten by the bug at the age of eight at a family party where I imitated my Teutonic grandmother and everybody fell about laughing. “Aha! What’s this?” I thought. 

I was in a children’s folk music choir too, and we recorded songs by Peter Paul And Mary, whom I met and – well – come to the show and you’ll see!

CM: What have been the highlights of your career thus far? 
DF: Travelling the world and having had the opportunity to perform for wonderful, warm audiences. Everywhere from a cave in Jerusalem, to a burnt-out building in Alphabet City, New York. Off-Broadway, Sao Paulo, Off-West End in London, my hometown Auckland and in Australia and Edinburgh. 

I’ve played in films and TV including ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’, and have been lucky enough to meet some truly inspiring, incredible people along the way. It’s all one big highlight!

CM: What aims and ambitions do you have for the future?
DF: More TV and film, possibly a cookbook with autobiographical, funny stories. I’m a pretty good cook but I’m not sure about those competitive cooking shows. Make a twelve course meal in five minutes! No thank you. I so enjoy the ritual of cooking and baking of course, and the flavours. 

No plans for the hit TV show ‘Traitors’. Maybe a solo show about my worst nightmares on the road, but THIS show truly feels like my OPUS and is the best of all I have done I reckon, so there will be tours.

CM: What’s coming up for you next after this? 
DF: Right after this I am travelling to Toronto and then to New Zealand for a break. I’ll be reflecting on London and the fantastic bull’s eye this show is and we’ll be looking to Canada, the US and possibly Ireland. I am truly excited. 

Deb Filler performs ‘Cohen, Bernstein, Joni & Me’ at Upstairs At The Gatehouse from 20 Jan-1 Feb. See this page here for more information and to book tickets. 

LINKS: upstairsatthegatehouse.com | fillerup.ca | instagram.com/debfiller