After a sold-out Edinburgh Fringe run with her debut show How To Belong Without Joining a Cult, comedian, writer and actor Kate-Lois Elliott is working on a new show tackling another zeitgeisty subject: Tradwives.
How did you get into comedy?
I was a theatre actor who’d cut my teeth doing sketch and improv. I found standup – and I think this is often the case with actors – when I became frustrated that I couldn’t control when I worked or the stories I got to tell.
I then went on a Hinge date with a comedian (who is now one of my closest friends) and got an inside look at the stand-up world. I think a lot of actors will tell you that the last thing in the world they’d want to do is stand-up. There’s something about the actor’s job being about leading the audience on a journey, and if the audience doesn’t want to come with you on that particular day, or wants to go in a different direction, that’s terrifying. Anyway, after that, I went to an open mic and got hooked.
What’s your new show about?
The show is about how I got married recently, and that really wasn’t something I ever envisioned for myself. I didn’t know where I fit or what I was meant to be. I suddenly found myself scrolling through TikTok Tradwife content, which pushes this fantastical narrative of staying at home, having loads of kids, and pretending to live in a mythical version of the olden days. For a brief period of time (about a week), I was in this obsessive escapism-fuelled frenzy… suddenly dreaming of living on a homestead, keeping goats and throwing my phone in the sea. But I soon realised that the Tradwife movement is more sinister than it seems, and even if you remove all the bad parts, the reality of that lifestyle is not achievable for most people.
I wanted to write a show to figure out exactly why something that can feel so cynical or regressive has become popular with seemingly normal people. I just thought, what’s that tapping into? Why are so many people drawn to this make-believe version of the past?
I also talk about modern monogamy, fertility, and the tension between striving to have it all and the quiet exhaustion of just existing right now. Oh, and I talk about Lord of the Rings.
Tell us about your comedy style?
I tend to lean towards observational mixed with absurdity. Storytelling has always been why I wanted to make things. I think we can learn about the world and challenge our perceptions through stories, especially when there’s humour involved.
I’m playing with some new elements for this show (there’s definitely a lot more tech than I’m used to!). I’ve also been working with the phenomenal Katie Pritchard on some songs.
What do you think makes great comedy?
I love surrealism, especially in sketch comedy – or when something is so ridiculous that there’s a corpse, but it’s been earned. That’s usually what gets me.
I also think great stand-up comedy says something truthful. The jokes are obviously important, but the shows that stay with me are usually rooted in honesty. My favourite comedians make you laugh and then suddenly realise you’re thinking about something bigger underneath it.
How did it feel to have been nominated for a British Writers’ Guild Award so early on in your career?
I’ve talked before about how surreal I found the experience because the awards were held at the beginning of 2022 (after ‘The Event’…). Being suddenly thrown into a room full of hugely accomplished writers after barely socialising for two years was very strange. I’m awkward at the best of times.
But it was also hugely validating. Because it happened so early after I started writing comedy, it really solidified the career change for me. I remember thinking, ‘Well, I haven’t exactly been invited onto red carpets as an actor… but I have as a writer. Maybe I should keep doing that.’
Who are your favourite Funny Women?
Victoria Wood, Eddie Izzard, Jennifer Saunders, Iliza Shlesinger and Sara Pascoe. I also really admire people like Elf Lyons and Jessie Cave, who manage (in very different ways) to walk the line between theatre and stand-up.
TRAD is playing this summer at various venues between 5th June and 9th August. For tickets and more information click here!
You can keep up with Kate-Lois Elliott on Instagram
