What ADHD looks like when it gets ahold of a microphone

On most stages, forgetting your point is a problem. At “Put a Pin in It: An ADHD Adventure!” it’s basically the point.

It’s a Tuesday in July at Tokyo Comedy Bar. Comedians Mike Paxman, 38, and Alex T Thomas, 41, are thinking aloud onstage while a third person writes notes on a whiteboard behind them. The effect is part stand-up, part group therapy and part very public thought spiral.

“Someone told me it’s like being able to see our brains,” Thomas says after the show. “We’re unleashed.”

The premise behind “Put a Pin in It” is simple: Take two neurodivergent brains, remove the pressure to mask and conform, and let them loose on stage. The result is a show built around tangents, rants and interruptions — not making fun of ADHD (attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder), but exploring what happens when two comedians stop trying to rein themselves in.

“Our show is a liminal space, but full of weasels,” Paxman says, before pausing for a moment. “Let’s put that on the poster, Alex.”

The two comedians playfully disagree on topics including astrology, spirituality and capitalism. Paxman acts as the devil's advocate to the confident positivity of Thomas. | ZORIA PETKOSKA

Thomas and Paxman met while doing stand-up at Tokyo Comedy Bar in 2024 and clicked instantly. The idea for the show came about spontaneously, went through some trial and error, survived a hiatus in 2025 and returned this summer. On Sept. 22, the duo is set to showcase their brand of brainstorming at the third edition of the Tokyo International Comedy Festival, which takes place at various venues through Sept. 27.

The show runs primarily on “vibes.” Scripted jokes would be paradoxical for an ADHD comedy show, so the format borrows from improv and crowdwork without quite being either. It’s kooky verbal ping-pong that feels like watching a video at double speed — or, as the comedians see it, simply the normal speed.

“There’s no time to explain,” Paxman says. “We just tell people to strap in.”

The show starts with a handful of questions and keywords from the audience, which can sometimes turn into an advice section. The duo’s advice ranges from bad to terrible: When a woman asks how to get rid of a clingy friend and neighbor, they suggest setting her friend’s house on fire.

Thomas usually leads the audience into a guided meditation in the end. | ZORIA PETKOSKA

“My favorite was the question about what happens to gaijin ghosts,” Paxman says, using the Japanese term for “foreigner.” “I often think about it and laugh myself stupid, but I can’t explain it. You just had to be there.”

Paxman has embraced his role as the duo’s straight man, a Brit serving as a reality check for Thomas’ relentlessly positive, confidently whimsical LA girl persona. “I feel like she’s an alien and I have to translate to everyone how she thinks,” he says.

Their arguments often land on astrology, spiritualism and capitalism. In one show, Thomas declares, “Money is not real. Quit your job. Down with capitalism!” Almost immediately, Paxman interjects: “And thank you for buying tickets for this show.”

Behind Paxman and Thomas, comedian Kat Randall quietly scribbles on a whiteboard, attempting to impose some order on their increasingly chaotic trains of thought. At the end of the show, she presents her notes to the audience — essentially a transcript of two brains going in six directions at once. Randall has ADHD herself, which makes her uniquely qualified for the job and, perhaps, uniquely susceptible to getting lost in it.

Comedian Kat Randall assists the duo as a note taker during the show. | ZORIA PETKOSKA

The audience seems to appreciate the freedom of it, too. Because no two shows are the same, there’s always the possibility that something completely new will happen — a good reason to come back and see how the comedians go off the rails next. Paxman and Thomas both perform solo in more conventional stand-up formats, but this unscripted collaboration is their favorite style as it allows them to be completely themselves. “I spend a lot of time writing stand-up and doing normal stand-up shows where I am fighting myself to not do the ADHD stuff,” Paxman adds.

“Put a Pin in It” always wraps up with Thomas leading the audience through a guided meditation, an attempt to calm the frantic energy she and Paxman have built up during the show.

“Your worries and KPIs are carried off to Ikebukuro …” she says in a soothing voice, holding back laughter before adding, “On the backs of rats.”

Paxman sits on a stool, eyes begrudgingly closed. “This is the most hostile meditation I have ever seen.”

The Tokyo International Comedy Festival runs through Sept. 27 at venues across Tokyo, with “Put a Pin in It: An ADHD Adventure!” scheduled for Sept. 22 at Tokyo Comedy Bar. For more information, visit