1. Can you give us a sneak peek into your show at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe?
This is a rambunctious dissection of the different names we call ourselves throughout life. From growing up on a goat farm in the middle of nowhere to using a fake name in school, to claiming a mostly real one later on – each time period comes with unique medical complaints, societal gripes, and impressively-flexible physical comedy. Meet the wildly different versions of Kate Hammer, or as her friends call it, a regular day,
1.What can audiences expect when they come to see your performance?
Double Virgin on the Rocks (With a Twist) is a multimedia exploration of names and
identity, like a Ted Talk, but less-researched and funnier. I was able to track down a video
of me performing stand-up for the very first time when I was seven years old and the
year was 1999. Yes, I had glitter in my hair, yes I was wearing a turtleneck/vest situation,
and YES I received uproarious applause after every hack joke. The show starts with this
version of myself and springboards into the different versions of myself throughout time,
changing with the different version of my name I went by.
Beyond that, expect to learn about how our names shape our identities through our lives
and also how my life was never the same after I saw my mum’s trousers get stolen by a
dog.
2. The Edinburgh Fringe is known for its vibrant and diverse atmosphere. How do
you plan to engage with the festival audience and create a memorable experience
for them?
I am all about making shows chaotically fun. I am in absolute control, not to worry (or,
you can worry a very small amount), but I’ve found that keeping an element of
improvisation alive in a show means I can reflect each audience and make every
performance feel different. This is essential for me as a neurodivergent performer, to feel
as though I am being surprised and excited every time, and potentially finding something
new, or learning about a unique way the audience will react to a story or joke.
I think this is part of what sets me apart as a performer - even if something goes off the
rails, the show is in safe hands. And I hope the audience feels the same!
3. As a performer at the Edinburgh Fringe, what are you most excited about? Are
there any specific aspects of the festival that you are looking forward to
exploring?
I am always so excited to become a sponge for the month of August and be endlessly
inspired by shows that defy genre but are the most genius, entertaining things I have
ever seen. I can’t wait to find a show that is so good it makes me furious that I didn’t
think of it first - sometimes there are so many I lose count.
4. Your show incorporates elements of feminism and women's experiences. Could
you share how these themes are woven into the narrative or performance? What
inspired you to explore these particular topics.
My name, Kathryn, is extremely similar to my mother’s name of Catherine, but it was
made clear that I was not named after her, and in fact named after nobody at all. This is
a one-woman show about the different names I have adopted over my life, exploring
what they meant, and ultimately claiming a new name for myself (which is a very nice
way of saying stealing one). I’ve been interested in how much our names affect each
and every decision in our lives ever since I read an article that claimed exactly that. If
your name is Marie, you have unconsciously made yourself look and act more like a
Marie. Our names affect how likely we are to get a date, a loan, or a job, but since I have
gone by seven different names over 32 years, I wonder if I've managed to escape
becoming a true ‘Kate’.
My experience being the only daughter in a farming family and feeling like the odd one
out drives the narrative, leaving me to make a bunch of top-notch jokes overtop of it. To
be honest, my goal this year was to make a show that was able to encompass a lot of
storytelling about myself and my
goat-farming-cheese-making-in-the-meth-capital-of-Canada family, but it’s spawned into
questioning if female identity comes more from nature or nurture, or, in this case, from
the name we’ve been given.
The narrative is driven by my experiences being the only daughter with a flair for
theatrics in a farming family, making me feel like an outsider at all times. I have so many
stories about growing up with my goat-farming-in-the-meth-capital-of-Canada family, and
through them I explore if female identity comes more from nature or nurture: the names
we are given, or the ones we claim for ourselves.
5. Have you encountered any unique challenges or obstacles in the industry? How
do you navigate these challenges, and what advice would you give to other
women pursuing careers in the arts?
I don’t want to call being a female performer an obstacle but it will always be an aspect
that I have to consider before performing for an audience. I like to call it out immediately,
to name the elephant way in the back of the room and make sure everyone is on my
side, no matter their gender. It doesn’t always work, and I will always get those
compliments that slightly cut such as, “You’re the best female comedian I’ve seen in
ages”, but I will still take it as a win. It’s better to focus on the positives, and know that
maybe a good experience with me will make them enjoy more female or NB performers
in the future.
If you keep making art you love, your audience will find you. Trust that, and even if that
audience is small, you're making art that you love. You can fail at something you don't
want to do so may as well try to make something completely yourself.
6. What do you hope audiences will take away from your show, especially in terms of
the feminist and women-centric themes? Is there a specific message or emotion
you aim to leave them with?
This isn’t a show that answers a question, but poses one to everyone there. I hope the
show will leave people eager to start a conversation with themselves and others. All in
all, our name is only as important as we feel it is, so the theme of this show can be as
light or as meaningful as the audience wants to make it.
Catharsis is always something I strive for: so many things in this world don’t have an
easy answer, but a huge part of feeling relief is simply being able to relate to people, or
hearing someone put our thoughts and feelings into words. And then expect some
energetic, physical, and playful laughs - I can’t promise everything, but I solemnly swear
not to bore you.
Double Virgin on the Rocks (With A Twist) - Details
Place: The Stand 5 (Venue 319)
Time:17:40 (60 minutes)
Date: August 18-25th, 2024
Price: £10/£7
*Questions curated by Persistent and Nasty and answered by comedian and performer Kate Hammer in her own words.
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