Kitty Flanagan is one of Australia’s best known comedians. Before that she was one of Australia’s least known waitresses at Pizza Hut. At school Kitty was a small, stick like child with very large front teeth and fuzzy hair. Nothing much has changed.
After several attempts at university, studying things as diverse as Spanish, Poetry and P.E teaching, the government introduced HECS and the free ride was over. No more enrolling for a semester of tertiary good times then dropping out.
Advertising beckoned because it was the job that paid the most money for the least amount of qualifications. She fooled them for a while, then she got fired. Then she tried doing stand-up. And then she got a job on Full Frontal (a sketch show, not a nudie mag). And then in 2001 she moved to London.
Then there was another sketch show, an English one this time, cryptically titled The Sketch Show. And there was a short film that won a few awards. After that, she wrote stuff for the BBC and Channel Four with writing partner Julia Davis of Nighty Night fame.
She has played all over the world including Japan, France, Germany, Singapore, Switzerland and Holland and performed at all the Festivals including Edinburgh, Montreal, Kilkenny, even Cape Town and Joburg and now tours Australia relentlessly, determined to bring her award winning stand up shows to every regional arts centre and theatre around the country. If she hasn’t been to your town, and you have a stage of some sort then please drop her a line and she’ll be there shortly.
She’s been nominated for a Helpmann Award (Charming and Alarming) and her subsequent show, Hello Kitty Flanagan, won the Best Comedy Award Winner at the Adelaide Fringe Festival, was nominated for another Helpmann award and also a Barry Award at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival.
Kitty is a writer and performer and can be seen as herself on The Weekly with Charlie Pickering (ABC) and not as herself in the Working Dog series Utopia (ABC). Previously she appeared in her own segment on The Project every Tuesday night. She also shows up regularly on the comedy news quiz programme, Have You Been Paying Attention.
Her favourite food is soup, closely followed by fried potatoes of any kind. She lives in Sydney with her dog Henry, her cat Sarge and a lovely Magnolia tree called Mary. Kitty hopes to one day develop some skills, get an education and find a real job.
VIDEOS
Kitty on Coffee – The Weekly
Kitty on Adult Friends – The Project
Kitty Flanagan – 2017 Opening Night Comedy Allstars Supershow
Kitty at Melbourne International Comedy Festival 2013 Gala
REVIEWS / TESTIMONIALS
“Layer upon layer of magic, making this show a joyful, sidesplitting wonder” ***** (yep that is five stars!!)
Herald Sun Melbourne
“Kitty Flanagan will have you in stitches from the moment she walks on the stage.”
Adelaide Advertiser
“Kitty Flanagan is hilarious and charming with her honest and casual style of storytelling.”
themusic.com.au
“If you’ve seen Flanagan on The Project and Good News Week you’ll have an idea of what to expect but she’s even better and faster live.”
The Independent Weekly
“In short, she nailed it”.
Squirrel Comedy
“Without doubt Australia’s hottest female comedian right now.”
The West Australian
“Some of the funniest traditional, free-form standup.”
The Observer
“Cruel, vicious, charming, innocent.”
Edinburgh Evening News
“Effortlessly hilarious, sharp, topical and very funny.”
The Melbourne Age
“Flanagan has a keen sense of the ridiculous and her perky, offbeat anecdotes are seasoned with smart aides and acute observations that prove remarkably captivating.”
Chortle.co.uk
“Flanagan’s command of a crowd and material is impressive.”
Sydney Morning Herald
“A lively and animated performance, Kitty brings her standup to life with the kind of strong characterisations that have become her stock in trade.”
Melbourne Comedy Festival
“Hilariously good company, her material is delivered in an inviting, effortless style that disarms as it skewers.”
Stage Left – MCF