Edinburgh Fringe: Comic Noam Tomaschoff’s secret is a family affair

Noam Tomaschoff had just returned to his home city of Toronto from the US, where he had directed his first feature film – which starred Back To The Future legend Christopher Lloyd – when his life was turned upside down.

His girlfriend had taken a DNA test to find out more about her genealogy, and when Noam said to his mum that he was also going to take a test, she and his dad turned up at his house within hours, looking gravely serious.

“They sat me down at the table and we all held hands, which is something we never do. I thought somebody had died,” Noam recalled. “I had no idea what was coming. Then they told me my dad is not my biological father.

“He looked haunted as they told me. I was in complete shock; I never had any suspicions.”

Noam had grown up an only child and is extremely close to his parents. They explained they had used a sperm donor and decided never to tell anyone, unless a health emergency made it necessary.

“They had built their whole lives on this story,” he commented. For Noam, trying to process the news meant he wanted to speak with family and friends about it.

“I felt I had to talk about this to incorporate it into reality, but my parents didn’t want that. Essentially, they were asking me to join in on the conspiracy, but I said no way, the cat was out of the bag.”

They began by telling a small group of close family members.

“Dad’s worst imagined fears of what people would say or think of him didn’t occur. Once reality started to become more pleasant than his imagined reality, he favoured it.”

With that said, what Noam proposed next required a huge leap of faith for his parents. As a fan of musicals, and being a professional in the entertainment world, he told them he had successfully applied to the Toronto Fringe Festival and was going to write a show about his DNA journey.

“There was a year between the moment of finding out and opening night,” Noam explained. “So many things happened in those 12 months, not the least of which was my parents completely changing their tune. My dad did a 180 and ended up one of the biggest advocates of the show, telling people about it and doing interviews alongside me.”

The other part of the story is what happened when Noam took the DNA test. Suddenly, he was no longer an only child. On last count, he has discovered 38 half-siblings.

“It was hugely thrilling to go from zero to becoming inundated with pictures and meetings and hearing people’s stories. I enjoyed the process of learning about new siblings. There was nothing negative about it for me.”

Noam says his relationship with his parents remains strong. “It feels like it is much more on the level now. It feels more real and honest.”

Having played to sold-out crowds in Toronto and won awards, Noam has decided to bring his one-man musical to Edinburgh.

“I’ve never done the Fringe before, but it feels like Edinburgh is the Olympics of theatre and we feel the show appeals to a wide audience. The themes are universal and relatable, and it’s totally a Fringe show in its spirit, being a solo musical. I love to tell stories to a room and I like to sing in different styles.

“I was able to make the show exactly what I want to do. For the first time in my career, it feels exactly what I’m meant to be doing as a performer.”

He added: “I hope people can take away from the story the positive ways we as a family have been able to navigate this potentially paralysing obstacle.”

Our Little Secret: The 23andMe Musical, Gilded Balloon Patter Hoose – Doonstairs, July 31-Aug 26 (except 7, 12, 13, 20)