OR: WHAT NOT TO DO WHEN YOU DISCOVER ONE OF THE WORLD’S GREATEST POP DUOS IN A VILLAGE HALL.
Before Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go, before the sold-out stadiums, and before superstardom, George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley were two 17-year-olds with big dreams.
In 1979, Michael Burdett spotted their potential and took them into the studio to record their very first demo tracks. But there was a twist – at that point they were the two singers in a ska band. This musical plan didn’t quite work out, but what happened next changed pop history forever.
Now, in this funny, surprising, and uplifting solo show, Edinburgh award-winner Michael Burdett takes you behind the scenes of George and Andrew’s early musical ambitions before they formed Wham! – from record company rejections to the first glimpse of George’s genius. All before global fame that saw them go on to sell over 30 million records.
40 years later, Michael did something remarkable with the long-lost recordings they had made together…
Told with wit, warmth, and a healthy dose of self-deprecating humour, Before Fame, in Michael’s words, is a show about two musical geniuses and an idiot. Spoiler: Michael is the idiot.
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“You HAVE to go and see Before Fame… The story of George and Andrew’s early days, beautifully told and very funny”.
“Funny stories from the man who (almost) managed Wham. A surprisingly poignant celebration”.
“Funny, surprising, heart-warming and a right riveting story. Burdett is a compelling raconteur”.
Michael Burdett
Michael is a composer who has written music for television, radio and theatre. He has written everything from the theme tunes to Masterchef and Homes Under The Hammer to Arnold Schwarzenegger’s posing music for the bodybuilding documentary Total Rebuild. He occasionally releases recordings under the name Little Death Orchestra and latterly The Amber Quills.
Michael’s award-winning one-man show Strange Face – Adventures with a Lost Nick Drake Recording went to Edinburgh three years running.
In 2024 he premiered Before Fame at The Pleasance during the Edinburgh Fringe where the Times called it one of the funniest shows of the year.
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