FOR US comedian Derek Mitchell, everything started with what he calls a “depressing time with a sad salad”.
After living in Chicago until he was 16, Mitchell is now based in Amsterdam – and his latest Fringe show Double Dutch focuses on his journey from outsider to something resembling an insider as he looks to make sense of our cultural differences.
“I’ve lived in the Netherlands on and off for about 10 years and I was working a kind of boring job in a co-working space in lockdown,” he told The National.
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“It was a depressing time and I was eating a sad salad by myself. But then I heard this voice echoing and it was someone shouting ‘bon appétit’ behind me.
“In every European language, there is an impulse to say something like that no matter what but we don’t really have a version in English, if you say ‘bon appétit’ it’s usually funny or ironic.
“This was mind blowing to people I explained it to so I thought I should make a video of that.”
@letsdoubledutch Meet claire :bread: #divorcee #britsabroad #villagelife #dorps #marksandspencer #expatlife #expatsinthenetherlands ♬ original sound - Double Dutch
Having lived in Canada, the UK and the Netherlands, Mitchell is now an EU citizen and is probably better placed than most to speak to the cultural differences across continents.
His viral sketches spoofing cultural stereotypes have generated over 250 million views on TikTok and other platforms and he even appeared in the hit Apple TV show Ted Lasso.
One video about an English divorcee moving in with her Dutch girlfriend generated 1.5 millions views alone.
He’s particularly excited to bring his latest show to Scotland, explaining that one of his good friends from university is now based in Glasgow.
Mitchell added that he notices a lot of similarities between Scotland and the rest of Europe – and believes the country would make a “great candidate” for returning to the EU.
“One thing I’ve always noticed now being a citizen of the Netherlands and enjoying being part of the EU is that there’s something about the Scottish national sensibility that to me would work very well in the EU.
“There’s this deep sense of camaraderie and democracy and a desire to look after one another and those are at the centre of the EU project.”
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In the 2016 Brexit referendum, 62% of Scotland voted to remain in the EU while just 46.4% of those in England voted the same way.
This, however, isn’t something that particularly surprises Mitchell.
“The fact England voted for Brexit to me wasn’t surprising because I think English-ness historically is more about a sense of superiority.
“If the EU does or is able to accept new members, Scotland would make a great candidate.”
Working with a Fringe audience
Like so many comedians, Mitchell has found fans and fame through social media, whether that’s Instagram or TikTok.
However, prior to this the comedian (below) also worked as a sketch act and a live performer and believes he’s lucky to have had the chance to “cut his teeth” online.
“That’s been the interesting challenge working on this show. The way the internet works is you find a niche you have something to say about and people find out,” he explained.
“Live stuff works a little bit differently, you have to make it simultaneously unique and original but also universal enough for people to understand it.
“I’ve zeroed in on internationalism, on being an immigrant or linked somehow to not belonging to the place you come from or maybe having a family member who doesn’t.
“It’s been really wonderful to hear from people I wouldn’t expect to say they relate to the show.”
There’s one cultural difference in particular which sticks out to Mitchell though and it’s one that’s sure to split opinion – tea.
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“Honestly tea culture. In both the Netherlands and the UK, people assume their way is a universal standard,” he said, laughing.
“I’m a big earl grey fan, or sometimes just English breakfast, you have the teabag out before the milk and so on.
“In the Netherlands, my Dutch partner will make tea and I’ll find it disgusting. There’s a world of complexity to what makes it delicious and it’s apparently a very fine line.”
Derek Mitchell will be performing his show Double Dutch throughout August – click HERE for more information on dates and tickets.
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