When we initially meet someone, we get the conversation going by making assumptions about each other - from our identities, backgrounds and experiences. In this highly original, intoxicating show, and following a much-talked-about debut at the Edinburgh Fringe, Derek Mitchell (2023 Leicester Square Sketch Off Finalist) gets his teeth into this subject (and most of the rest of his body, too) with a tour de force of multi-national laughs.

Derek was born in the US, now resides in England, and has spent a surprising amount of time in the Netherlands - where he has a large cult support to go with his more-than-65,000 Instagram followers. He now sets off on his first ever UK tour to share his unique voice with all of England. Double Dutch, of course, means gibberish - it was a term coined by English travellers centuries ago because they found Dutch so incomprehensible (not much has changed over the ages, where our proficiency with foreign languages is concerned).

Derek’s show lays gleeful hands on the culture of gibberish and the way we use it on each other, highlighting behaviours that happen every day, but maybe go unnoticed. From the way that immigrants turn into manic pixie dream girls in airports to middle-aged women compulsively confessing dark sexual secrets to gay men in aeroplanes - something Derek’s got a surprising amount of experience with.

A synthesis of standup and character work, an ocean-hopping mix of national perspectives, and a truly infectious, unusual presence on stage made this one of the standout treats of the Fringe, and we are delighted now to unleash one of the most exciting new live voices on the circuit as he sets out on a first full UK tour.

DEREK MITCHELL: DOUBLE DUTCH UK TOUR - starts 28 February 2025 at the Alphabetti, Newcastle. Click here for full dates an ticket links.

Picture by Dylan Woodley