Chris Turner

<p class="p1">Chris Turner is a stand-up comedian and freestyle rapper from England who made his debut as a solo artist at the Edinburgh Fringe with 2014’s <em>Pretty Fly</em>, which won the Amused Moose People’s Choice award. Turner made his New York City debut five years later with 2019’s <em>White Boy</em> — later that year, he uploaded a 6-minute clip of himself improvising a live rap based on audience suggestions at The Comedy & Magic Club in Hermosa Beach, Calif. That video, “<strong>White Boy drops unbelievable freestyle rap,”</strong> has earned him almost 18 million views. Now based in NYC, he’s a regular at The Comedy Cellar. In 2021, he performed on <em>The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,</em> and received a standing ovation. That, in turn, helped earn him a gig in Las Vegas as a resident member of the new Cirque Du Soleil production, <em>Mad Apple</em>, at New York-New York Hotel and Casino. And that’s part of the story that informed Turner’s 2023 Edinburgh Fringe show, <em>Vegas, Baby!</em>. Turner sat down with me during the Fringe in Edinburgh to talk about his beginnings in the UK, his move to America, and everything in between. There’s a lot to get to, so let’s get to it!</p>