Andrea Coleman is a Brooklyn-based writer, performer and lawyer originally from Virginia. She performs sketch comedy, stand-up, and longform storytelling, and writes plays and screenplays. She also practiced law for 17 years. She brings her debut Fringe show ‘3 White Guys Named John’ to Edinburgh in August. We spoke to Andrea about the show, her most stressful moment as a lawyer, and being one of the few people expecting to eat well at the Fringe.

Can you tell us about ‘3 White Guys Named John’?

Sure! ‘3 White Guys Named John’ is my solo show about how filmmaker John Hughes, musician John Mayer, and rockstar Jon Bon Jovi changed my life. Using the music and movies of these 3 White guys named John I tell personal stories of how they appeared in my life giving me guidance and direction when I was terrified or at a crossroads. Their influence on me started in grade school and continued up until my adulthood as a New York Senior Trial Attorney. It’s nostalgic, inspiring and funny. I’ve had the pleasure of performing the show in New York, Virginia, and in Philadelphia where it won Best in Show at the Golden Unicycle Festival.

For those unfamiliar with your work, how would you describe your comedy style and approach to performance?

I’m a stand-up comic, a playwright, a screenwriter and a sketch writer/performer. Across the different mediums I typically write about the mishaps and observations from my life. My background as a lawyer comes in quite often. Being a lawyer who practiced for 17 years, primarily in Brooklyn, I came across quite a few oddball characters. I also create from my experience as black woman and being in an interracial relationship with a white man, that material is always fun. Recently I’ve started telling jokes about my obsession (possibly addiction) with romance novels, particularly those where the dude is a werewolf alpha king and the dame is a vampire fairy.

My approach to performance is to be as vulnerable and honest as possible. I discovered early on with ‘3 White Guys Named John’ that sometimes I would cry when performing the show and I’ll be honest, I hated that. I did not want to be crying on stage, I felt too exposed. Plus, the show is meant to be funny. But I realized that my job as a performer is to be vulnerable. So if some tears fall, that’s part of the experience. My desire is to give the audience a truthful offering.

As a well as a comedian, you also had a long career as a lawyer, which we’ve learned over the years is not an uncommon combination. How does your legal background influence your comedy?

My legal background influences the subject matter of my comedy a lot. I had a long running live comedy show in New York that I produced and hosted called ‘Wack or Woke? Andrea Coleman Judges the Law‘. Affectionately called, ‘Woke Laws’. In ‘Woke Laws’ I would pick a specific law then myself and three other comedians would ‘pass judgment’ deciding whether the law was wack (bad) or woke (good). The show aired on PBS; one of the episodes is available online if you wanna check it out.

I find the nuances of legal language, how a law is written and what words are used, to be great fodder for jokes. It’s funny to me how people behave (or misbehave) in legal environments so I talk about that in my comedy a lot. The actual practice of law is so odd. My main job as a lawyer was keeping my face neutral while my client or the judge or someone else, said or did something crazy. Trying to behave professionally while others are acting unhinged is one of my favorite comedy tropes.

What’s the weirdest case you were ever involved in that you were able to (legally) mine for comedy?

I once had to argue a motion in court that I had not read. It was a terrifying experience. I do not recommend. Essentially my law firm had misplaced the document and we hoped that another party to the lawsuit would take on the primary job of arguing it. But when we approached the bench to argue, the judge unexpectedly let that party out of the case! The Judge then looked at me and said, ‘Counselor, are you ready to argue the motion?’

Of course it was a completely full courtroom with about a hundred other lawyers filling every seat, standing in the back and trickling out the door with all their eyes on me! I was mortified to admit in front of my colleagues and the judge that I hadn’t read it, didn’t even have a copy of it and was absolutely NOT ready to argue it. Moreover, it was not a simple motion. It was a motion to dismiss the cases of four plaintiffs based on lack of serious medical injury. So the motion itself was full of deposition transcripts, emergency room records, radiology reports and orthopedic findings plus expert testimony from innumerable doctors. I certainly couldn’t wing it! It’s a long tale full of divine communication, generational trauma and burning armpits. But, at the end of the day, I actually WON the motion if you can believe it. That said, I about died in the process.

What made you decide to bring the show to the Edinburgh Fringe?

Edinburgh Fringe is the largest arts festival in the world and I’d been told that Fringe audiences really appreciate long form storytelling comedy. I felt like Edinburgh Fringe would be the perfect venue to share this really personal, nuanced show. I also was excited by the idea of getting to perform every day and getting to expose the piece to an international audience.

Apart from your show, is there anything you’re particularly looking forward to (or dreading) about the Fringe?

I’m looking forward to meeting other artists and creatives. I went to Fringe last year as an audience member and met so many fantastic people. I also really enjoyed the vegan gluten-free food options in Edinburgh; when I came here last year I ate really really well. One of my favorite spots was Let Me Eat Too, they have a delicious falafel salad. Last August in Edinburgh was chillier than I’d expected so I’m dreading an unseasonably cold August.

Besides ‘3 White Guys Named John’, can we expect to see you performing elsewhere during August?

I hope so! I’m also a stand-up comic so I plan to perform stand-up material too while I’m in Edinburgh. Since I’ll be performing my solo show everyday I think it’ll feel freeing to get on stage and tell shorter form jokes about romance novels, dating, and the law.

Are there any other acts at the Fringe that you would recommend audiences see?

Yes! You have to see Josh Makinda’s show ‘Naivety, Love and My Poor Interpretations of the Social Order on a Rainy Day‘. I had the pleasure of seeing Josh perform at Edinburgh Fringe last year and he was one of the most original and creative performers I saw. Whatever he’s going to put up this year will not disappoint. Everyone should also check out Ansa Edim’s show ‘Is this Normal?‘ Ansa is a dynamic performer and has some truly wild and sometimes unhinged tales from her life. Her show is a lot of fun.

‘3 White Guys Named John‘ is at ZOO Playground – Playground 1 from Fri 1 Aug to Sun 24 Aug 2025 at 14:00