In the theatre category, New York-based writer and performer Tom Nemec will be making his Edinburgh Fringe debut with the darkly humorous play ‘A Cat in a Box’, which sees the performer revisit what it was like to grow up in an alcoholic, dysfunctional family. Directed by Jim Mendrinos, the one-person show explores themes of childhood, love, loss, survival and the enduring possibility of hope. After always being inspired to tell this deeply personal story, Tom is finally heading to the festival this year and I recently had the opportunity to speak to the writer and performer about why now feels like the right time to debut this piece in Scotland.
Background and life experiences
Tom has worked as a comic and performer for over 20 years and through the genre of standup comedy, has performed at venues across the East Coast of the USA. His comedy style is largely autobiographical, drawing on personal experiences, and the solo show ‘A Cat in a Box’ follows suit, centring on a difficult period of his life. Furthermore, in 2012 his house was sadly ruined by Hurricane Sandy and despite having family nearby, the experience led him to feel “completely alone”. Tom says that he “had to admit to myself, we were never a family”, referring to them as “roommates”. Now a Pre-school Teacher with a Masters Degree in Early Childhood Education, Tom has reflected on his childhood experiences and was inspired to create a show about it.
Sharing trauma through theatre
Something that stuck out to me with our conversation was Tom’s openness to talking about his “untreated childhood trauma” and the performer explained to me that he spent years thinking nothing really bad happened. He went through multiple jobs, living week-to-week. He says that “quitting just felt really good” and he previously blamed his acting and performing career for his unhappiness. Looking back he says that this “had nothing to do with my unhappiness […] it was all internal”. He cites Adult Children of Alcoholics sessions and studying for his Master’s degree as helping him realise that there was another route cause of his unhappiness.
Why Edinburgh now?
The performer first left the United States two years ago and has already visited London five times. On a recent visit to the UK he spent two days at the Fringe and after the experience said “I need to bring my show to Edinburgh at some point”. This year ‘A Cat in a Box’ will be at theSpaceUK for a limited run, which the performer notes is the Fringe home of acclaimed theatre makers Xhloe and Natasha.
Looking forward to EdFringe 2026
Tom is looking forward to “just being there with all of the other performers” and seeing how his story will connect with people around the world. Referring to the idea of bringing the show to the UK this Summer, Tom said “it’s not like I’m speaking a different language […] I mean, trauma is all over the world, right?”.
Catch ‘A Cat in a Box’ at the 2026 festival
I really appreciated having the opportunity to have such an open conversation with Tom about this show. It certainly sounds like the performer has been on quite the personal journey over the years and is now ready to share his story with Edinburgh audiences. It is sure to both resonate with and help many people. ‘A Cat in a Box’ is at Theatre 3 at theSpace @ Surgeons’ Hall (venue 53) from 7th – 15th August. Performances start at 14:05 (50 mins), with the show on sale via the EdFringe website now.
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