Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2026 · An Invitation to Invest

Bottoming
for Jesus

A Cabaret Confession by Michael R. Speciàle
Produced by Family Affairs Studio

We are seeking $35,000 in co-producer investment to bring Bottoming for Jesus to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival at Zoo Venues, August 7–30, 2026. Edinburgh opens doors that are difficult to open any other way: international press, presenting relationships, and the kind of critical validation that drives touring and screen adaptation. Co-producers participate in all post-Edinburgh revenue.

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01 — The Show

Part stand-up.
Part cabaret.
Part sermon.
Part TED Talk.

Bottoming for Jesus is a 60-minute solo cabaret that chronicles Michael R. Speciàle's journey from self-converting to Mormonism at age 15 through a series of beautiful attempts and spectacular failures at finding purpose and authenticity.

Through costume changes, musical numbers, whiteboard illustrations, and sharp humor, the show explores how the stories we tell ourselves about God, desire, and belonging shape us, and what happens when those stories begin to crumble.

With creative direction by award-winning choreographer Spenser Theberge and original musical arrangements by Jeremiah Ginn, the show has drawn capacity and sold-out audiences at every venue: LINT in Los Angeles, Process PDX in Portland, and Honcho Campout in Pennsylvania.

Bottoming for Jesus performance
Process PDX, Portland. Photo by Max Benedict.
Watch the Trailer

See the show
in action.

60 minutes of stand-up, cabaret, sermon, and TED Talk. Costume changes, musical numbers, whiteboard illustrations, and the kind of radical vulnerability that makes audiences laugh, cry, and text everyone they know.

bottomingforjesus.com →
"An audacious but essential work of art."
Willamette Week · May 2025
As mentioned in The New Yorker
Performance Performance Performance Honcho Campout
02 — Why Now

Why Edinburgh.
Why now.

In a time of renewed attacks on LGBTQIA+ rights and deepening cultural polarization, Bottoming for Jesus confronts the tangled intersection of faith, sexuality, and personal authenticity. We describe the show as Nanette meets Judy at the Palace, 1961.

Edinburgh concentrates the entire global performing arts industry in one city for one month. No other festival offers this density of opportunity.

It's a proven launchpad for solo and cabaret work at exactly this scale. Every Brilliant Thing debuted at Edinburgh and has since been produced in 80+ countries in 44 languages, with over 600 US productions alone — most recently on Broadway starring Daniel Radcliffe. Le Gateau Chocolat built an international touring career from Edinburgh to the Sydney Opera House, the Barbican, and the Bayreuth Festival. YUMMY and Briefs turned Edinburgh runs into global cabaret touring businesses spanning 60+ international festivals. These are not unicorns. This is the standard path for strong work that arrives prepared.

1
Post-Edinburgh Touring
US, UK, and Australian markets with Edinburgh reviews and credentials. One presenting deal = $15–25K. The show is a solo with a pianist — low production overhead, high margin, easy to book.
2
Filmed Version & Distribution
Professional documentation during Edinburgh is part of the plan. The filmed version opens distribution on our terms — theatrical, digital, or both. We control the rights.
3
International Festivals
Melbourne, Adelaide Cabaret Festival, Dublin Fringe, Brighton, Soho Theatre London. Edinburgh credentials open every door in the circuit.
4
Commercial Runs
Extended runs in London, NYC, LA with proven audience demand. The show moves from festival circuit to institution.
03 — The Journey So Far

Capacity audiences at
every venue.

Bottoming for Jesus was developed in residency at Open Space in Portland, Oregon before premiering at LINT in Los Angeles. It has since toured to Portland and Honcho Campout in Pennsylvania, drawing capacity crowds and building momentum with each run.

2024
Development & Premiere
May 2024 · Open Space, Portland, OR · Development Residency
June 28–29, 2024 · LINT Black Box, Los Angeles · Premiere · Full House · 80 attendees
2025
Refinement & Expansion
March 13–14, 2025 · LINT The Loft, Los Angeles · Remount · 150 attendees
May 8, 2025 · Process PDX, Portland, OR · Nightclub performance · Sold Out (100 capacity)
August 15, 2025 · Critters Lounge at Honcho Campout, Artemas, PA · Cabaret stage debut · 200+ attendees
2026
Edinburgh
May 2026 · LA Creative Development Week · Script refinement, new video and production elements
August 7–30, 2026 · Edinburgh Fringe Festival · Zoo Venues — The Studio · Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
Bottoming for Jesus crowd
04 — Edinburgh Strategy

The road to Edinburgh.
Zoo Venues, August 7–30.

The two-year development period leading to Fringe 2026 has refined Bottoming for Jesus into a festival-ready hit, primed for consistent crowds and critical acclaim. We are confirmed at Zoo Venues — The Studio, a 70-seat venue in the heart of Edinburgh's festival district, performing nightly August 7–30. Our track record at Edinburgh is strong: Family Affairs Studio previously co-produced Lottie Platchett Took a Hatchet at Assembly Festival in 2022, earning five-star reviews.

Rather than rushing additional tour dates before Edinburgh, we are investing in a focused week of creative development in Los Angeles in May 2026 to tighten the show and add new video and production elements. The show is strong. This is about making it undeniable.

4 weeks
Daily performances at Edinburgh
23
Scheduled performances
3,500+
Shows at the festival
500+
Audience members to date
05 — The Investment

$35,000 to close
the funding gap.

Co-producers invest in the Edinburgh run and participate in everything that comes after: touring revenue, filmed adaptation, commercial runs, and licensing deals. Edinburgh concentrates the global performing arts industry in one place for one month — it's where we secure the press coverage, critical validation, and presenting relationships that drive those opportunities.

Co-producers participate in future revenue from all post-Edinburgh exploitation, not just the Edinburgh run itself.

Artist Fees · $17.5K
Marketing & PR · $7.3K
Production Costs · $7.6K
Venue, Travel & Accomm. · $15.7K
Per Diem & Meals · $4.7K
Music Licensing · $1K
Admin & Insurance · $2K
Contingency · $2.8K
Funding Sources
  • Edinburgh Ticket Revenue (net after commissions)~$13,000
  • Silent Investor (secured)$15,000
  • Co-Producer Investment (this ask)$35,000
Total production budget: ~$58K. Ticket projections are conservative (50% average capacity at Zoo Venues — The Studio, 70-seat room). The ~$5K buffer between funding sources and production costs covers GBP/USD exchange rate risk and rising energy and travel costs. The goal is not to maximize Edinburgh revenue — it's to prove market demand that unlocks higher-value opportunities.
Request Full Investment Summary (PDF) →
Co-Producer Investment Tiers
$10,000+
Executive Producer
  • Executive Producer credit in all marketing materials and programs
  • 10% participation in backend revenue from screen adaptations, commercial runs, and licensing deals
  • Opening night VIP package (tickets, reception, private dinner with Michael)
  • Full documentation package (professional video, photography, press archive)
$5,000–9,999
Co-Producer
  • Co-Producer credit in program and select marketing materials
  • 5% participation in backend revenue (same terms)
  • Edinburgh opening night tickets (2) + opening night party access
  • Rehearsal observation access
  • Documentation package
$2,500–4,999
Associate Producer
  • Associate Producer credit in program
  • 2.5% participation in backend revenue
  • Edinburgh opening night performance tickets (2)
  • Behind-the-scenes content access
  • Documentation package
$1,000–2,499
Supporting Producer
  • Supporting Producer credit in program
  • Edinburgh performance tickets (2)
  • Exclusive updates throughout festival run
06 — The Team

The people behind
the work.

Michael R. Speciàle
Michael R. Speciàle
Creator & Performer
Artist, producer, and systems architect. Founder of Family Affairs Studio. Co-founder of NAVEL, Los Angeles (2014–2024). Formerly at Lincoln Center. MA, NYU Steinhardt/Stern.
Spenser Theberge
Spenser Theberge
Creative Direction
Juilliard graduate, Princess Grace Award winner. Former dancer with Nederlands Dans Theater and The Forsythe Company. Movement director for Taylor Swift, Savage x Fenty.
Jeremiah Ginn
Jeremiah Ginn
Music Director
NYC-based actor, pianist, and music director. Off-Broadway: Big Gay Jamboree, The Great Gatsby, Murder For Two. National Tours: Anastasia, A Chorus Line.
Mikenzie Ames
Mikenzie Ames
Associate Director & Stage Manager
Stage manager and creative collaborator. Former stage manager of Punchdrunk's Sleep No More. Associate director for the Edinburgh Fringe production.
Producer
Family Affairs Studio
LA-based cultural production company. Original IP, touring works, creative infrastructure.
familyaffairs.studio →
BFJ

This show is ready.
The venue is booked.
Now we just need you.

Bottoming for Jesus opens at Zoo Venues on August 7. The team is assembled, the development work is done, and the funding gap is closing. If you want to be part of what happens next — in Edinburgh and beyond — now is the time.

hi@familyaffairs.studio
360.334.0139
familyaffairs.studio bottomingforjesus.com Support FAS →