Katie Boyle is an Irish comedian living in New York City, where she performs regularly at the New York Comedy Club, Stand Up NY, Eastville, and many more venues. She also hosts a podcast called The Shift, where she and her guests discuss sex and dating from an Irish perspective.

What are your own roots?
I am from Kildare, Ireland.

When and why did you first become interested in comedy?
I moved to NYC in 2014. I went to a comedy show in Brooklyn and saw a woman performing at a stand-up show. She was the only woman on the lineup and was the funniest comedian that night. I hadn’t seen any women do stand-up before, although I also hadn’t been to many comedy shows before that. So, I felt inspired to try.

Are they the same reasons that you continue to be involved today?
No. It is my full-time job now, and one that I love. When I started, I had no idea that I’d be living off it 8 years later.

How has your craft evolved over the years?
It takes years of performances to get fully comfortable on stage and grow the material. In that time, I have learned how to speak slower, be more conversational, move on stage, deal with hecklers, and change Irish English to American English.

What are the challenges of the vocation?
It’s not very secure. I must constantly be booking the next gigs and planning ahead and producing content to get fans to come to shows. So, I think being a businesswoman, on top of creating the comedy, is the hard part – especially when I just want to be creative.

What are the rewards?
I am happiest on stage. I have always loved having guests over and being a host and entertaining people so it’s amazing that I get to do this as a job and meet so many new people and make them laugh. I also get to travel and see parts of the world I wouldn’t have if I didn’t do comedy.

Is your comedic process more ‘inspirational’ or ‘perspirational’? 
Both. I watch other comedians to get inspired, but as my comedic style is conversational, I write on stage – in the moment.

What makes your work unique?
I am an Irish woman, and I don’t withhold. I’ll do comedy about anything – from sex to family to Irish versus American culture.

What makes a good joke/bit?
Honesty. I think the funniest thing is the truth. Most people don’t say the deep dark truth of what they think and, if it’s not harmful, it’s probably hilarious.

What motivated you to start the podcast, and what has the response been like?
I started it because Des Bishop asked me to cohost and then gave me the full reigns when he left. The response has been so much better than I thought – I was afraid to openly talk about sex and shame and, ironically, felt shame for talking about it at the start. The support of listeners, however, made me feel like I was doing the right thing.

What’s on your comedic agenda for the remainder of 2023?
Have a bigger fan base so I can tour more. I’d love to have a stand-up set on TV or a streaming service, but what comedian wouldn’t? So, that can be a goal for 2023, 2024, 2025 and 2024 and 2025 and forevermore.

Watch Katie’s latest TV special here! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sRF7MRg060Q