Soft Clown Natasha Mercado Brings Acclaimed Solo Show #1 SON to the Montreal Fringe

Fresh off her off-West End debut as headliner for the “Look For the Woman” festival, award-winning performer Natasha Mercado is bringing her latest solo show, #1 Son, to the Montreal Fringe Festival. Known for her bold physical comedy and absurdist, heartfelt storytelling, Mercado delivers a one-of-a-kind theatrical experience that is equal parts hilarious and deeply moving.

#1 Son explores the age-old question, “Why did God make me his sexiest son?”. Through an explosively funny mix of clown, physical theatre, and raw vulnerability, Mercado crafts a world where gender expectations, family pressures, and personal identity collide in the most unexpected ways. #1 Son has already earned praise from major outlets for its inventive humour and emotional depth, solidifying Mercado as one of the most exciting voices in contemporary comedy.

Mercado’s previous solo show, Tree, played to sold-out audiences across North America, earning Pick of the Fringe honours in Victoria and a spot on Stage Raw’s LA’s Top Ten Shows. With #1 Son, she continues to push boundaries, blending high-energy comedy with moments of genuine connection.

David Shiner, one of the foremost clowning experts and a long-time collaborator with Cirque du Soleil, had this to say about Mercado and her show: “Fearless and completely out of her mind.” This bold praise reflects the kind of risk-taking and unrelenting energy Mercado brings to her work, as she fearlessly pushes the limits of clowning and vulnerability in #1 Son.

Don’t miss #1 Son at the Montreal Fringe Festival—an unforgettable ride from one of today’s most exciting and innovative comedic voices.

Natasha Mercado is a celebrated performer, director, and the visionary behind “Soft Clown”—a performance philosophy she pioneered that blends vulnerability, connection, and heartfelt absurdity. Her solo shows, Tree and #1 Son, have toured internationally to critical acclaim, with Tree named one of Stage Raw’s Top 10 Shows in Los Angeles and #1 Son debuting at the 2024 Edinburgh Fringe to glowing reviews.

On screen, Natasha’s acting credits include work with HBO, Adult Swim, Broadway Video, and TruTV. In 2020, she was recognized as an “Emerging Content Creator” by the National Association of Latino Independent Producers (NALIP), and in 2024, The Comedy Bureau named her work one of the “Best Things in Comedy.” Cirque du Soleil’s David Shiner praised her as “fearless and completely out of [her] mind.”

As a director, Natasha has helmed genre-defying Fringe favorites including Thank You So Much For Coming, Medicine Woman, and The Incredible Shamé—productions that have earned multiple award nominations and widespread recognition across the North American and Edinburgh Fringe circuits. She also mentors youth through The Unusual Suspects Theatre Company and teaches consistently sold-out workshops across the country.

 “Completely blasphemous…one of the most brilliant performance pieces ever”

-Gustavo Arellano, LA Times & 2025 Pulitzer Prize Finalist in Commentary

“#1 Son is a lot of things – to say it’s just a takedown of toxic masculinity would be reductive, but it certainly is that and more! But what it is, I have no doubt: funny, absurd, engaging and vulnerable.”

– Fernando Funes, The Lyric Hyperion Training Center Director

“Mercado is a master comic storyteller, who pulls you in from the outset, swiftly incorporating crowd input and reactions throughout. Even when she is not speaking, she conveys a world with just a look and a nod.”

– Stage Raw

“A master of crowd work, the Los Angeles comedy artist manages to pull even the most hesitant participants into the action, winning them over in the process.”

– Winnipeg Free Press

“This show was exactly what Fringe is about, seeing something weird and amazing that you would never see anywhere else. The show was creative, daring, and gut-bustingly funny!”

– Jenny Revue

“Uninhibited… semi-scripted absurdity”

– Orlando Weekly

“Natasha Mercado has roots in the Upright Citizens Brigade (whose alumni includes Amy Poehler, Nick Kroll and Aubrey Plaza), so her improvisational and sketch comedy skill set is clearly elite.”

–Times Colonist

“Natasha Mercado is a ridiculous and mischievous performer, with a glint in her eye that promises fun and laughs for those lucky audiences who are smart enough to buy a ticket”

– Eric Davis (Red Bastard)

Chapelle de la Cité-des-Hospitalières
209 Ave Pins H2W 1R6
60-minutes running time

Fri, June 6 21:45
Sat, June 7 12:30
Mon, June 9 18:15
Fri, June 13 14:15
Sat, June 14 20:00

General admission: $15.00 ($4.00 Service Fee)

BUY YOUR TICKETS HERE!