Your latest show, Broad Strokes, is about the stroke you had in 2023, which led to the cancellation of your Edinburgh run. When did you know that you’d be turning that experience into material for a new show? Did that decision surprise you, or did it come quite naturally?
As soon as the doctor in the emergency room told me I was going to be okay, I was like…this is great material.
What was the process of creating the show like? Did you feel as though it helped you look at the experience in a different way?
The whole experience was so shocking and disorienting that as soon as I started to feel more like myself, I tried to pretend like it had never happened. I had to bury many feelings and fears in order to move on and get back to work. When I started to write this show in January, I realised how much I had to (and honestly still have to) process. It has been therapeutic, but also anxiety provoking at times. I’m still finetuning the show so it’s very much an ongoing journey. Ultimately I’m grateful for the experience because I definitely think this is my best work yet.
When I saw Come for Me at the Fringe last year, I was so struck by how you balanced a hilarious, self-obsessed stage persona with genuine moments of vulnerability and self-awareness. Now that you’re focusing on a deeply personal story, how has that affected your performance approach? Did you need to adjust that comedic persona, or does it actually serve the more intimate material you’re exploring?
Thank you!! I’m not quite sure… Right now I’m just working on getting the ideas down on paper… I’m sure the performance will evolve and find itself as the run begins.
When you came to the Fringe last year, you brought the show you were meant to perform before the cancellation. How did that feel to you, in light of all you experienced? How are you feeling about coming back this year with this story?
Very emotional!! Getting through my 2024 run after having to postpone it was incredibly satisfying. It felt very full circle and I was super grateful. This year is going to be wild because I’ve never done a show that is SO brand new at the Fringe. I am ready to rock/roll.
Cat Cohen: Broad Strokes, Pleasance Courtyard, 31 Jul-24 Aug (not 6, 12, 13, 19), 9pm