Katie Pritchard

Written by: Si Hawkins
Published: Tuesday 17th October 2023

One random comedian, eight random questions; it's the ultimate test of funny person and fate. This week we're taking a one-way ticket to spookytown with the singing, sketching, acting, actively-amusing multi-threat Katie Pritchard, who is actually selling a one-way ticket to London's Pleasance Theatre, for the final two nights of October.

Expect extremely relatable chills. The title? Katie Pritchard is: The Estate Agent.

"This show has gotten way out of hand, to be quite honest with you!" preaches Pritchard.

"I started writing it while living in my friend's wardrobe (true story), because writing an absolute gore fest seemed the best way to deal with the fact that it is impossible to find somewhere decent to live these days, and what's happened is I've had a lot to say about it all and I keep coming up with stupider and stupider ideas for things I'd like to add into the show and now it has become a right exspookyganza..."

What is an exspookyganza? Well, this one "features eight brand new songs, some incredibly large new costumes, a bonkers storyline, and I've even been so bold as to add in choreography - who on Earth do I think I am? The cast of Wicked??!!

"It is a one-woman, multi-role, musical comedy show all about finding a place called home when homes are just so bloody hard to come by. Expect twists and turns, ghouls and gags, live audio descriptions from guest comedians, and spectacularly spooky shenanigans."

Live audio descriptions! That's the spirit. So is Katie a Halloween head generally?

"I love Halloween, and I've always wanted to be in a horror movie - I think I would make a great creepy lady in a corner somewhere, or hanging off a wall. The closest I got to that was when I appeared in a very low-budget horror movie as a zombie. I got to join a whole squad of zombies who came over the horizon headed for the abandoned hospital that we were filming in.

"Just before we started filming, one of the other zombies asked the director what our motivation was for walking towards the hospital, to which the director replied, 'Because you're a zombie and you're hungry', to which the actor replied, 'But I'm vegan', and to that the director said, 'Well, I guess you'll have to do some acting then'. A classic day on set!"

She's back with an ensemble soon, in panto - see below for details. But first, Katie Pritchard, your Random 8 await.

Who was your first celebrity crush?

The cast of Buffy I reckon.

Which place you've visited was the biggest anti-climax?

A pumpkin patch that I took my niece to. All the pumpkins had already been harvested. So I made her play in the pumpkin size display to work out what size she would be if she were a pumpkin. She was only four. She was a medium.

She's never brought our day out up again since. It was my first time being allowed to take her out for the whole day just her and me. Haven't been allowed to do that again since either. DAMN YOU PUMPKIN PATCH!!!!!!!

Your most interesting injury?

I have a scar in the middle of my forehead from when I smashed my head into the exhaust pipe of a parked car in a car park. As you've probably guessed - I was a very high energy little scamp, and I was pretending I was able to do martial arts, fell over and slid under a car.

I was so embarrassed, I hid round the side of the car, then my friend followed the blood trail to find me and then nearly passed out at the sight of all the blood everywhere. Looked like I was in a horror film that day! I had to get my head superglued to fix that scar.

Hence the fringe I rock with "way too much personality" (as a director on set once told me, before making the make-up team gel it and stick it to my head).

What's the best thing you ever bought?

A slide whistle. God I love that thing. Not sure if people who hang out with me would agree, but I bought it on a whim and I always have it in my bag. It's the BEST!

*Cut to a montage of me and my slide whistle out and about around town having the best time ever*

Which British town should be abolished?

Loooollll I'm not falling for this trap! Nice try, British Comedy Guide!

What's the best (non-comedy) room you've ever been in?

There was a place in London which used to have eggs for the loos. You go and wee in an egg! I liked weeing in an egg. We should all go one day?

Is there a book, film or album that changed your life?

I was OBSESSED with Tchaikovsky when I was really small, why I don't know, but we had a Tchaikovsky album of all of his music that I used to play on repeat, and we'd watch Fantasia non-stop too and pretend to be dancing flowers. I knew every note in any of his pieces! I just loved the music so so much!

And one day my friend's mum took me and my friend to see a Tchaikovsky concert, and I sang along to every note. But the lady in front of me kept telling me off. Sure, I get that it is annoying when someone sings along, but I was only about six, and I was clearly a fan, just let me pretend I'm a god damned flute ffs. So, after that I didn't listen to Tchaikovsky much cos I felt his fans weren't very welcoming and I'd never be allowed in the gang.

So, a lot of my other inspirations were from the world of pop and rock (where the fans were much more welcoming) - I'd learn all the lyrics to songs and all of their dance moves from their music videos. I'd spend hours perfecting them, and then re-create the whole song in the lounge and force my family to watch. One of the best singers to do this to was Gloria Estefan - every song's a HIT!

Who's the most interesting person you've ever met?

Dave Benson Phillips - the man, the legend! Big fan. We did panto together last year, and it was perhaps the most fun I've had on a panto ever - non-stop laughter, incredible stories, and so many shenanigans onstage and off with the whole cast cos it was such a lovely bunch of people.

I hope we all get to work together again soon on another fun project!