It is festival season and that means that in the next month there is so many great comedy festivals to look forward to! This month we are looking at some of the great shows that you can see at the Edinburgh Fringe. So take note because we are going to give you all the information you need for just a handful of some of the great shows happening this year!

Katy Berry: Diamond Goddess Crystal Pussy

Location:   Just The Tonic At The Mash House – Just The Bottle Room (Venue 288)

Dates: Aug 3rd-13th, 15th-21st, 23rd-27th

Time: 14:10

Price: £8 Concessions £4

Ticket Link: https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/katy-berry-diamond-goddess-crystal-pussy

Hello! Tell us about yourself?

Hi there! I’m Katy Berry. I’m a comedian, writer, and musical improviser from Long Island, NY. I live in Queens in New York City now with my boyfriend, Adrian Frimpong (who you can see in Baby Wants Candy this year) and my dog, Hilde! I started studying comedy in at The Magnet Theater, and the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater.

Over the last several years I’ve traveled the world performing with musical improv legends Baby Wants Candy at The Kennedy Center and for multiple sold out Edinburgh Fringe Fest runs. Things took off with my improv, but I’ve always been a writer at heart. My feature film script, POPCORN, earned me a place in The Black List X Women in Film’s 2020 Feature Lab and Residency, and I’m looking to make my directorial debut on it in Summer 2024. I currently have three films with producers attached and I teach screenwriting at the New York Film Academy when I’m not on stage.

My videos and writing have been featured on Vulture, Studio360, Bustle, Bushwick Daily, and more. I love creating content that empowers people and the more vulnerable I feel when writing something, the better I know it will be.  

How did you come up with the name of your show that your taking to the fringe?

 I was walking in the Assembly Gardens at last year’s fringe thinking about what kind of show I would want to bring. I had been toying with the idea of being a Goddess who only just discovered her powers, and I wanted a funny title that would feel sparkly and silly and over-the-top, just like me. I said “How about: Diamond Goddess Crystal Pussy” to my friends, who were probably drunk, and everyone was like “yes that’s it”!! so I just rolled with it! The thing about Fringe is it’s better to lean into the craziness and go with the flow, and the title itself is a reminder of that.  

Tell us all about your show!

Okay! I wanted a show that did two things. First, I wanted it to combine all my talents. I’ve been doing musical improv for a decade; singing, rapping, coming up with jokes on the fly, talking to audience members. I’m also a writer. I wanted to smash all of these elements together in one big buffet of ‘look what I can do!’ Not just a regular comedy show, but a big mixed bag of tricks that melded all of my flavors together without losing the elements of a satisfying narrative.

Secondly, I wanted it to be anchored by my real-life experience and come from the heart. People always seem to love my weird and wacky stories from growing up, so I let that guide me. Being from a small town, I felt like the girls were encouraged to act more ladylike all the time, and that really messed up my performative instincts. I mapped the idea of being a goddess over the feeling of being an outsider. I thought about the moment in my life where I woke up and stopped caring what other people thought and took charge of my own happiness. From that, I created a story about a woman who realizes later in life that her mom had sex with Poseidon and she’s actually a demi-goddess, so she’s trying to reclaim her magic and help other people shake off their mortal constraints. She has to grapple with resentment, regret, forgiveness, and find peace with who she is today.

The show is a feel-good, big hearted love letter to my hometown and I think anyone who’s grown up on the ‘fringes’ of their communities will relate. The show vacillates between improvised ballads, story telling, games with the audience, and more to create a fabulous theatrical experience! 

What other acts are you looking forward to seeing at the fringe?

I always love the circus acts. I’d like to see Circus Abyssinia this year, because I’ve always had to miss them in the past. I also like to see at least one really weird interpretative dance piece per year. I’m also jazzed to see some of my comedy friends perform their own debuts! Namely Tim Murray is Witches, Chris Grace is Scarlett Johanssen, and Lane Kwerderis: Sex Job.

Have you done the fringe before? What are the key pieces of advice you have been given or would give to new groups or people performing at the fringe. 

Yes, this will be my fourth fringe, although it’s the first time in a solo show that I am producing, so that’s much different. But my advice is always the same: you HAVE to relinquish control and give yourself over to the Fringe Gods. Edinburgh is magical, theater is magical, it can be the most beautiful month of your life or it can break you.

The key is to be open to what the universe wants to teach you, and to growing in ways you didn’t expect. Don’t go in thinking you’re gonna sell out every seat and leave famous. No no no. Go in ready to perform to empty houses, to meet and support other artists, to sweat and give it your all, and reconnect with why you chose this wacky gorgeous lifestyle in the first place. AND try haggis, neeps, and tatties! 

Favourite one liner you have done in a show and why?

Oh LORD. As an improviser, we say so much crazy shit that doesn’t make sense outside the context of the show. It’s hard to think of a single quote. I will say that last year I memorized The Declaration of Arbroath because my Scottish friend, Kenny, would recite it to us when he got drunk enough, and I loved how epic it was. So I memorized it and waited for the right moment.

Finally in the last Shamilton show, which is fully improvised, I played Nicola Sturgeon and got to stand on a podium and recite it with FERVENT passion. It felt so good, I launched into Loch Lomond and the audience immediately joined it. It was the PERFECT end to the Fringe, and an opportunity to share gratitude towards the people of Edinburgh, who tolerate our crazy asses coming in every year.  

What have been some of the most unique and different comedy shows you have seen this year and why?

I really love Lane Kwederis’ Sex Job because she is an active sex worker. Specifically she’s a financial dominatrix, and her show delves into her journey to that line of work and the realities of it. But it’s actually a really sweet, jolly show! She’s redefining sex work and I’m here for it! 

Talk us through your daily routine for a day at the Fringe

I wake up and eat a scone with clotted cream and jam. Then I spend an hour putting on makeup and costume, which is going to be even more intense this year because I’m wearing a wig that must be glued to my hairline. I flier some queues and try to talk to people who seem curious.

Then at show time, I eat a Crunchy Bar and drink something caffeinated until I’m tweaking out, so I can hit the stage and go nuts. When it’s done, I do a de-brief with my team. Then I try to catch a couple other shows, probably eat a sandwich from Tesco or another scone, and spend the night drinking in Assembly’s club bar until I go home, do some writing, and eventually pass out!

What is the best way to enjoy yourself at the fringe?

Soak up the history of the city, take in some tours, and then balance that out with mischief. Follow the wind! Kiss a stranger! Chug a pint! 

Best thing about performing at the fringe?

 The electricity in the air. The creative energy. Being inspired by other artists trying to do the damn thing. 

The most challenging thing about performing at the fringe?

Keeping your voice in-tact and not getting sick, lol. If you’re performing a lot, don’t be afraid to take naps when your body needs them! 

What would be your top three items every performer must take to the fringe?

False eyelashes, strepsil lozenges, a sexy pair of black boots that you can wear in the rain. 

What’s the secret to successful flyering? 

Have a gimmick! Candy works awesome. Engage. Be kind and funny! Make them like you so they want to support you! 

Who would be your ultimate dream audience member?

Billy Joel. Lol. He represents the soul of Long Island in my show. (He’s from Long Island and everyone there worships him.) 

If people want to find out more about you where can they follow you on social media?

@katyberrycomedy and www.katyberrycomedy.com 

And Finally in three words – Why should people come and see the show? 

It’s fucking great!!!