Based in New York, Irene Woo has been performing stand up for four years. Up until recently, she was a senior software engineer at Google, a position she held for six years. Irene is a bilingual performer in English and French who has performed stand up across New York at venues such as The Stand and NY Comedy Club, as well as in Boston, Philadelphia, California, Montreal, Paris, and Edinburgh.
She has performed with Don’t Tell Comedy and was selected for the Boston AAPI Festival in 2025. This year, she brings her highly anticipated work to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
How did you get into comedy?
When I moved to America right before high school, I fell in love with stand up comedy. I would watch SNL religiously every weekend. Once I moved to NYC as an adult, I would go watch live comedy about once a week. A friend suggested that I take a stand up class at the PIT and it has changed my life. It gave me the confidence that I could stand in front of strangers and make them laugh. And now I’m taking my debut hour to the Fringe!
Tell us about your comedy style
My comedy is dry, satirical, and deeply personal. I like to make fun of the tech world, French men, and mostly myself.
What is your show about?
Until last year, I embodied the “Golden Child”. As a Senior Software Engineer at Google, I had it all: the six-figure salary, the impressive job title, and the unconditional approval of my immigrant parents. But when I turned 28, I quit my job to tell jokes in damp basements. With the unrelenting standards of a Type-A Asian oldest daughter and the messy reality of a human being, my debut stand up hour “Golden Child” explores the golden handcuffs of the tech world, the cultural whiplash of being a French-Chinese woman in America, and the baffling logic of dating French men.
How does it feel to be performing at the Edinburgh Fringe for the first time?
It feels thrilling. I’ve always dreamed of attending the Fringe and I got to go for the first time last summer. It blew me away and my expectations were already very high. I was impressed by the breadth of talent and the variety of shows you can watch for only ten pounds. I was profoundly moved by the creativity that’s present at the Fringe and it’s inspired me to try new things in my own stand up.
Before I quit my job, I never imagined myself taking a show there and now I’m so excited I get to perform my debut hour for the entire month of August in Edinburgh.
How will you mentally and physically prepare for a run at the Fringe?
I’ve made the tough decision of using my gym membership. I strength train 2 to 3 times per week in preparation for the physical challenge that is the Fringe, and I’m performing my show once a week while lightly jogging.
This entire year, I’ve been touring a lot and the demanding travel and performance schedule has proven to be great preparation for the Fringe. Staying connected with my loved ones, reading, and eating fruit is how I stay mentally sane.
Connect with Irene Wood on Instagram.
Tickets and more information for Golden Child can be found here!
