Shane Torres is a stand-up comedian, writer, podcaster and actor based in Brooklyn, NY. He has appeared on Conan (twice), The Late Show withStephen Colbert, After Midnight with Taylor Tomlinson, NBC’s Last Comic Standing, and Comedy Central Half Hour Special. He has debuted at Edinburgh Fringe with ‘Skinned Knees’. We spoke to Shane about the show, finding ways to deal with grief, and his hopes for the show.

Can you tell us about ‘Skinned Knees’?

In short, it’s about what masculinity looks like when you don’t have a model for it, and where you go looking for guidance in unlikely places.

For those who might be unfamiliar with you, how would you describe your comedy and your approach to performance?

I’d say, to the folks who are unfamiliar with me, that I’m a riddle wrapped in a puzzle. Christ, I’m joking.

My approach for this show in particular is a bit odd. It’s something I’ve wanted to write and perform for a while, but I was never quite sure how to fit it into an hour of stand-up like I normally would. The Fringe seemed like the place to give it a really good go.

‘Skinned Knees’ deals with very big themes like grief, masculinity, and responsibility. How do you begin to write about such topics in a coherent way, let alone find the humour in it?

It does take on those themes. Grief, masculinity and responsibility are all difficult to reckon with – if there were a clear way to handle something like grief, we’d all know how to do it. But there isn’t, so the way I deal with it is through humour. That’s how I write and perform about it too.

How much experience do you have performing for British audiences? They’re known for not being as demonstrative as American crowds.

Not as much as some of my American counterparts, but I’ve been fortunate enough to perform at some of the great spots in Britain — opening at rooms like the Hammersmith, then doing more modest headlining sets in smaller but incredible clubs.

What are your hopes for the show? What would constitute a successful Fringe for you?

I’m hoping for the show to be well reviewed, obviously, but I’m also hoping to win some new fans in a different corner of the world, so I can come back. I’m very much hoping to make a strong impression and show people the kind of show I’m capable of putting on.

What are you most looking forward to, or perhaps dreading, about the Fringe?

Very much looking forward to the shows and hopefully finding some new favourite acts. Finding an exciting new act helps me as a performer – it sharpens my approach to my own act and gets me a bit more inspired.

Besides ‘Skinned Knees, can we expect to see you performing elsewhere during August; guest spots, compilation shows, etc?

I’ll do every single spot that will have me. I’m certainly showing up to the Fringe to be as busy as possible.

Are there any other shows/ performers at the Fringe that you would recommend?

I mean, Stamptown of course (shameless producer plug).

‘Skinned Knees‘ is at Assembly Roxy until Sun 30 Aug 2026