“Fringe cannot hurt me, because I am always fringing. Just another thing I have in common with the Hulk.”
WHO: Kate Hammer
WHAT: “One Canadian needs to make you laugh, otherwise she will be deported. Join Kate as she navigates proving herself to get a Global Talent Visa, getting dominated on Vinted, and breaking up with an identical twin. As seen on Breaking the News, BBC Scotland, Roast Battle League and Channel 4. ‘A full package, all tools comedian… It is impossible not to vibe with Hammer’ (Comedy.co.uk). ‘Frenetic and clownishly graphic’ (Chortle.co.uk). ‘Dynamic and charismatic’ (BroadwayWorld.com). ‘Delightful on stage… knows exactly how to land a line’ (One4Review.co.uk).”
WHERE: The Studio at Monkey Barrel Comedy (Niddry Street) (Venue 80)
WHEN: 17:00 (60 min)
MORE: Click Here!
Is this your first time to Edinburgh?
Last year I did a run in a comedic play by Stuart Laws called STUCK. I played four different puffins and it was my opus as an actor. This year is my first time with a full run as a comedian, and I’m filled with the kind of excitement that makes me quake in my boots (I wear cowboy boots in my show that were purchased from a store in Tennessee called THREE FOR ONE BOOTS, which says a lot about me and my relationship with my parents who are the owners of the other two pairs of boots). I have been hardened by years of performing most nights of the week on top of other work, so in one sense, I have been training for the Fringe for years. Fringe cannot hurt me, because I am always fringing. Just another thing I have in common with the Hulk.
What are the big things you’ve learned since 2025 and have you absorbed any of the lessons yet?
I’m like a sitcom character, going through important lessons every single week but rarely absorbing a thing. Some people say I’m bad at learning, but I think I just love learning so much I want to keep doing it again and again. Luckily, I have great people around to remind me of the things I have done in previous episodes, including: you can always do more WIPs, Edinburgh in August can span multiple seasons so wear both a mini skirt, winter jacket, and rain boots at all times, and Kate doesn’t share food. Mostly, I think I probably shouldn’t have directed two independent short films in the months leading up to the Fringe while also trying to write my own hour. Would I do it again and not change a thing? Yes. Because I love learning!
Tell us about your show.
My show is like entering the haberdashery of my mind: filled with knick knacks and tat collected carefully over the years. It might seem messy to anyone else at a quick glance – but everything is important and I know exactly where it is. Mostly. Like 50%. I take the audience through their own, personalized version of a visa application in order to stay in my audience and trust me, my version of a visa application is actually a lot more fun than the real thing, and WAY less expensive. I wrote it, the inimitable Stuart Laws is directing, the fantastic Brass Tacks Comedy is producing, and I’m being funded by Blackfriars, which makes this whole thing possible. I literally do not know what I would do without these people helping me every step of the way, but it would probably involve me taking up goat farming like my ancestors before me.
What should your audience see at the festivals after they’ve seen your show?
This Fringe is RICH with talent, and I honestly cannot list enough people who are going to do amazing shows and make you laugh your entire footwear range clean off. Kathleen Hughes and Sam Lake are doing limited runs, so get on those tickets FAST, and Grace Mulvey, Eva Peroni, and honestly every single show at Monkey Barrel Comedy will be more than worth your ticket price. Also – ALWAYS take a punt on a show you’ve never heard of, I promise you’ll be so happy you did. And if you aren’t happy you did, come find me after and I’ll buy you a drink.*
*Hope you like water with ice and a slice of lime.
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