Page 143 - Katherine Ryan press pack 2015-20

Tell me about your entire process from brainstorming, writing, to performing. Do you test your
material on friends first?

I don’t really have any friends, so no. In the UK we have a really rich open mic environment, which is part
of the reason that I moved to the UK ten years ago. It’s a really good place to be a beginner because you
can get onstage every night of the week if you want to. I feel like in New York or LA that’s not possible.
In LA you certainly have to be famous if you want stage time. When I have new ideas, I just write them in

my phone almost all day, everyday. If I think something is funny, then I’ll make a little note of it.

We also write with pens and use notebooks and paper. We’ll write almost a skeleton, a map of what we

want to talk about that night. Most comics that I know do this. And then you go on stage and it’s really
easy to get five minutes anywhere in London, and I mean that. For the Netflix Special, it went from 5-
minute open-mics to 10 minutes, to 20 minutes, to touring it. Your tour show is about an hour and a half to
two hours. I’ve toured three different shows in the UK. Again, there’s just demand for comedy so you can

do that. The Netflix Special is the final night of my tour. I had already toured that show for probably eight
months.

For each show, is there a way to get feedback from the audience at all?

It’s funny because you can have the same material done so differently at two different gigs and that’s
really what I love about criticism and comedy. I love that we all love different things. When people don’t

agree with something that I’ve said, criticise me, or don’t find it funny, I’m so peaceful about that because
I think it’s just an example of balance. I love it. Sometimes people don’t laugh, and that’s the only
criticism that counts. You learn. If you do it maybe two or three times and you’re the only person who
think it’s funny, then maybe you should stop saying it, or maybe you’re not being clear. If you really

believe in a premise, just write it a different way. I think Chris Rock said, often it’s not your punch line
that’s wrong, it’s your setting up of the punch line.