‘One of comedy’s most electrifying, distinctive talents’ – The Guardian 

‘The most influential, imitated comedian of a generation’ – Bo Burnham 

‘As a performer, Berlant is hyper-loquacious and unabashedly cerebral, shooting off errant sparks of philosophy and academic theory, and flitting among bits almost before the viewer has had a chance to register what she’s just seen’ – The New Yorker

Comedian, actress, writer, podcaster: standing firmly at the forefront of experimental comedy, Kate Berlant is a supernova. Penny Drop and Frontier Touring are pleased to announce the singular standup will make her Australian debut in March 2025, Berlant premiering a brand-new live show with two performances in Melbourne and Sydney. 

Beloved in comedy circles, Berlant’s referential and meta approach to performance is one that winks and tells us she knows it’s all a performance and wants us to be in on the joke with her. Creating a show that interrogated ego, self-image and the insecurities and embarrassments inherent in being an actor, in 2021 she achieved a major breakout moment with her acclaimed one-woman play, KATE. Directed by Bo Burnham, it earned sell-out runs across New York, London and LA, decried by Vulture decried as “the New York City show to see”.  

With frequent collaborator Jacqueline Novak, Berlant co-hosted the cult-hit wellness podcast Poog (Goop spelled backward), and recently launched the spin-off show, Berlant & Novak. 

Her collaborations with comedian John Early include the Vimeo original series 555 and the 2022 Emmy/Critic’s Choice Award comedy special Would It Kill You to Laugh?, which saw the two character actors inhabit the roles of former collaborators reuniting decades after a feud cancelled their popular (but sadly fictional) sitcom, He’s Gay and She’s Half-Jewish. It was followed by Berlant’s hilarious, absurdist special Cinnamon in the Wind (also directed by Burnham).  

On screen, Berlant has appeared in films Don’t Worry Darling, Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, and Sorry to Bother You. Her TV credits include A League of Their Own (alongside Abbi Jacobson and Nick Offerman), Search Party, Transparent, and I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson. 

Celebrated as one of Just for Laughs’ New Faces of Comedy and Variety’s Ten to Watch, Berlant has been featured in Interview, W Magazine, The Independent, ELLE, Los Angeles Times, Rolling Stone, and more. Actress-director Olivia Wilde, who worked with Berlant on Don’t Worry Darling, described her as “like Andy Kaufman, Charlie Chaplin, Lily Tomlin, and Carrie Fisher’s group love child, but somehow something completely new.” 

While many have taken inspiration from her, the joyous and elastic quality of Berlant’s work is singular, and impossible to replicate.  

Believe the hype – don’t miss Kate Berlant at Melbourne Recital Centre and the Sydney Opera House as part of the annual All About Women festival – next March!