Behind the comedy is a heart-filled examination of what it means to be committed to your own integrity and what it takes to maintain that self-made promise.
Editors’s Note: I’m in Edinburgh, Scotland, for the first time from Aug. 16-22 for a wedding and Edinburgh Fringe Fest 2026 and will miss the world premiere of “Bloated in Vegas” by two days. Doh!
“Bloated in Vegas” imagines a fictional world in which a prodigy tailor from the Lower East Side is plucked from obscurity to become Elvis Presley’s personal tailor, eventually designing the famed jumpsuits that became synonymous with Elvis.
But the tailor quickly learns that beyond the seductive lights of Las Vegas, nothing is quite what it seams. Will our tailor survive the trappings of fame? Will Elvis’s jumpsuit hold up under his, er, “overindulgence”?
Or will they both end up “Bloated in Vegas”?
Behind the quick-witted and heightened comedy is a heart-filled examination of what it means to be committed to your own integrity and what it takes to maintain that self-made promise.
Michael Schiralli (director, co-writer) and Jason Cohen (performer, co-writer) have collaborated on various projects for more than a decade, including co-creating the concert “Great Balls of Fire,” which has been touring the U.S. for five years and in which Cohen stars.
Schiralli said he and Cohen had been looking for an idea for a play to co-write for some time. “I was watching a documentary on Elvis, and I couldn’t help but pity him, how there were so many people pushing him to perform when he clearly was no longer enjoying it, and the horrible things the tabloids would say about him.”
Using this bit of history as a backdrop, they wanted to explore “that age old question: Is too much of a good thing ever enough? And what are you willing to lose, to get more?” said Schiralli.
When discussing the life of the project, Edinburgh Fringe was the obvious choice for the premiere. “We wanted an audience who wasn’t risk averse, who would be interested in off-beat comedy with heart. Plus, we figured that if ever we had a Fringe-y idea, this was it.”
Of the project and collaboration, Schiralli said, “Bloated in Vegas’ is the play the world needs to see right now. Well at least anyone who’s in Edinburgh from 24-29 of August. Collaborating with Jason is always effortless. We feel completely in sync with each other. That was evident from our first collaboration. That’s rare and greatly appreciated.”
“Michael pitches jokes faster than anyone I’ve ever met. He has a keen understanding of rhythm and pace when it comes to writing and performing comedy. But beyond that, he has an amazing eye to understand how to get at the heart of a story. He has taken Bloated in Vegas’ from what could be a piece of sketch comedy to a beautiful story about friendship and integrity,” said Cohen.
Listings Information
Venue: Greenside at Riddles Court, Pickle Studio
Dates: 24-29 Aug. (preview performance 24 Aug.)
Price: £9/£8 concessions (preview pricing is £7/£6)
Time: 16:05 (55 minutes)
First review date: 25 Aug.
Showpage: EdFringe.com/tickets/whats-on/bloated-in-vegas
Instagram: @BloatedInVegas
