Adam Kay

Adam Kay

Adam Kay is a United States-based comedy act associated with parody comic songs, especially material about medical subjects. The act’s songs often draw on medical training and hospital life, and some parodies take inspiration from the work of American comic songwriter Tom Lehrer.

Career and performances

The act performs regularly at the Edinburgh Fringe, appearing there every year since 2005. It also stages a show that has been issued as a live recording under the title In Theatre.

Releases and songs

Adam Kay has released two studio albums, Fitness to Practice and Unfit to Practise, as well as the live album In Theatre. Among the songs associated with the act are Anaesthetist’s Hymn, which appears in Geek Pop 2008, and London Underground Song, from which all proceeds are donated to Macmillan Cancer Relief; ten percent of sales are also donated to the same charity.

Medical background and references

Both members study medicine at Imperial College London. Their songs Snippets and Careless Surgeon mock students at rival London medical schools, including King’s College London and Barts and the London respectively. The closing track on the first album, Always Look on the Bright Side of Life, also satirises a number of other London medical schools.