‘Domestic Abuse Isn’t Funny, But This Show Is’,
Webby Award-winning comedian James Barr will bring his critically acclaimed show Sorry I Hurt Your Son (Said My Ex To My Mum) to Manchester’s Fairfield Social later this month.
James has teamed up with Starstruck to develop the project, bringing his darkly hilarious, genre-defying hour to the screen after four years of development and more than 150 performances across the UK and internationally.
One of the most talked-about comedy shows at the Edinburgh Fringe, Sorry I Hurt Your Son (Said My Ex To My Mum) has earned over 10 five-star reviews, three major award nominations and a place among the Best Reviewed Shows of 2025. Filming at The Clapham Grand marks the culmination of that journey and the finale of James’ UK tour.
Sorry I Hurt Your Son (Said My Ex To My Mum) is a deeply personal account of James’ experience as a survivor of domestic violence. The show maps the emotional steps he went through in a four-year relationship – from minimising and denial to recognition and escape. Using comedy, he exposes the emotional logic that kept him there. The result is a show that tackles domestic abuse and emotional cruelty without ever feeling overwhelming or despairing, landing as both a poignant and life-affirming hour of stand-up comedy.
By speaking out about his experiences, James gives a voice to the one in five adults who experience domestic abuse in the UK in their lifetimes. This statistic is even higher for LGBTQ+ people, with reported domestic abuse rates one-third higher for Lesbian and Gay Individuals: 6% in the last year, compared to 4.5% for heterosexuals (Office for National Statistics 2025).
Sorry I Hurt Your Son (Said My Ex To My Mum) is co-directed by Madeleine Parry, director of Hannah Gadsby’s Emmy Award-winning “Nanette” (Netflix Special), and an Australian Directors’ Guild award winner. The show has been developed further with feedback from fellow comics and guidance from legendary producer and screenwriter Russell T Davies.
“Men don’t often speak about abuse, and gay men speak about it even less. I wrote the stand-up special I needed. Comedy gave me a way to burst my own shame bubble. I’ve found my voice again. Filming this show at the Clapham Grand with the ambitious team at Starstruck is the perfect way to celebrate that. To anyone still carrying someone else’s shame: it was never yours. Give it back.” James Barr
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