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Follow Kate on Social Media or sponsor her Patreon
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Follow Kate on Social Media or sponsor her Patreon
Comedian, writer, activist
The (drag) king of comedy is back. And yes, he's got a podcast. The hilarious and terrifying alter-ego of feminist comedian Kate Smurthwaite unzips the trousers of truth and lays it on the table.
03 nov
nottingham comedy festival
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A comprehensive online course with over 30 comedy wrtiting exercises & tecniques. For beginners and established acts alike
A shown written and performed during the 2020 lockdown.
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Kate's 2019 show available to download
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Kate Smurthwaite is a left wing, feminist, atheist, polyamorous comedian and activist. She is also the host and star of the News at Kate video series.
She performs stand-up comedy all over the UK and around the world and is currently touring her 19th one-woman show, Fire Snake, which previewed at the 2023 Edinburgh Fringe Festival. She performs at major clubs including Manford’s, The Stand, The Comedy Store and Piccadilly Comedy Club as well as alternative venues such as Quantum Leopard, What The Frock, Bring Your Own Baby and The Poodle Club.
In 2013 she won a Three Week's Editor's Choice Award naming her one of the ten best things about the Edinburgh Fringe. In 2014 she was nominated for the Emma Humphreys Memorial Prize for campaigning against violence against women.
Kate has appeared as a panellist on Question Time as well as The Big Questions, This Morning, BBC News, Sky News, Woman's Hour, The Today Program, The Moral Maze, Newsnight and is a regular guest on Channel 5’s Jeremy Vine show.
Kate has written for a huge range of publications including The Guardian, The Independent, The Telegraph, The Mirror, Cosmopolitan, Stylist, New Statesman and New Internationalist. Links can be found in the Articles section on this website.
Kate has also written for TV, radio and web series including Have I Got News For You and BBC3’s BAFTA-winning The Revolution Will Be Televised. She was a finalist in 2015's SitCom Mission competition.
Internationally she is probably best-known as the star of a viral video circulated under the name Atheist Bitchslap.
In 2012 Kate made a program for BBC Radio 4's Four Thought series on sexism in comedy and in the comedy industry which is available here.
Kate's campaigning work has included almost a decade as spokesperson for Abortion Rights UK and working with female asylum seekers through Women For Refugee Women and Women Asylum Seekers Together.
Kate teaches comedy through City Academy, City Lit and Skyros Holidays, as well as her through her own online master class
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Quotes About Kate
"Fun, energetic and full of ideas"
John Cleese
"Bitch is Kate Smurthwaite's fifteenth Edinburgh show - and it is incredible."
WhatCulture
"There are no airs or graces about Kate Smurthwaite. From the off, she is gloriously mobile as she stalks the stage, mind and mouth effortlessly working in a whirlwind of ideas and joke lines."
Morning Star
"I found myself roaring with laughter then roaring with rage…A stand out piece of stand up."
West End Wilma
"One of the wittiest gun-slingers I’ve ever seen on stage"
Spectator
"An inclusive and important narrative on our society ...a brilliant comedian"
ScotsGay
"When it comes to political comedy…Kate is the cream of the crop"
Broadway Baby
"This is a fun show. Proper funny fun... a polished comedy hour."
The Scotsman
"Smurthwaite exudes a passion and self-assuredness onstage which is both infectious and empowering…Her refreshingly outspoken comedy will undoubtedly leave you hanging on her every word."
Bunbury Magazine
"An excellent performer, utterly secure in her material, and very entertaining."
one4review.com
"Clever and inclusive and nuanced…her satanic majesty"
Chortle
"She is conversational, honest, and most importantly, incredibly funny."
The Wee Review
"Smurthwaite skilfully laces classic comedic structures with observational humour and an array of gloriously apt similes."
FringeFeed
"Smurthwaite’s brilliance lies in her engagement with the crowd, her sarcasm and wit, and her ability to take the proverbial piss out of herself for our enjoyment"
Out In Perth
"All her gags are beautifully crafted and timed to get consistent laugh out loud moments all the way through the show…If you want to make the world a better place and see someone very funny, check out Kate Smurthwaite to fill your heart and belly with laughter."
Fourth Wall Media