Coming Out to Dead People (in NYC)

After Ricky’s mother was diagnosed with cancer, he was faced with a question: Is now the right time to come out to her? After receiving rave reviews at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival of 2023 and heading to its London Off-West End debut in 2024, Ricky Sim is back with this very Gaysian comedy show about grief, love, and a secret that was carried to the grave.

Combining stand-up and storytelling, the show explores his time growing up in the noughties, learning how to keep his first boyfriend with the help of the reggae rapper Sean Paul, while grappling with the decision to come out to his conservative Chinese-Malaysian immigrant mother, just as she was diagnosed with cancer.

“Coming Out to Dead People” is directed by Ryan Cunningham, a queer Emmy and Peabody award-winning producer and director with directing credits including Sugar Daddy (SoHo Playhouse/Soho Theatre), Club Cumming Presents a Queer Comedy Extravaganza! (Showtime) hosted by Alan Cumming, Ilana Glazer: The Planet is Burning (Amazon), and Expecting Amy (HBO Max).

Starts 7PM ET