Comedian Kiri Pritchard-McLean has announced that Empathy Pains, the show that she was able to tour for just four dates before we were all locked down, is now available to stream. Originally intended to focus on our relationship with empathy, the show evolved into an examination of the crisis that men are currently undergoing and the rise in male suicides over the last few years.
Having been unable to tour Empathy Pains, Kiri was ready to put it on hold for the time being. Then, in the last eighteen months, two men that she knew took their own lives. Kiri felt that it was time to raise awareness of the situation and is making the show available to view online.
25% from the sales of the show will be donated to Pwrpas, (www.pwrpas.com) a charity supporting men's mental health.
Kiri thinks that we live in a time where empathy is seen as a weakness like asthma or being first to pull away from a handshake (remember handshakes?). But why is that? Surely what we need in these divided times is more empathy? So Kiri is off on a search to find a group of people who she struggles to empathise with and boy does she find them. Join her as her search for empathy takes her to dark places including forums for paedophilles and incels.
Yup, her search history is a disaster.
Kiri Pritchard-McLean has appeared on Live at the Apollo, Have I Got News For You, 8 Out of 10 Cats and Would I Lie to You. She hosts her own show on Sunday afternoons on BBC Radio Wales and, as well as appearing on the Russell Howard Hour, she is a writer for the show.
Already a hugely popular regular on the comedy circuit, Kiri is director and co-writer with the Edinburgh Comedy Awards Best Newcomer nominated Gein’s Family Giftshop and the cult hit sketch show, Tarot, whose debut Radio 4 series, Soundbleed, launched in October.
Kiri’s hit, true crime podcast with Rachel Fairburn, All Killa No Filla is a phenomenon with over 350,000 monthly listeners. The live shows have been a huge success with the pair touring America and selling out a UK tour in 2019. Her new podcast Who Are You Wearing, during which Kiri chats to celebrities about their relationship with clothes, has also proved a huge success, with guests including Jonathan Ross, Laura Whitmore, Sindhu Vee and Rosie Jones.
During Lockdown Kiri was the landlady of virtual pub The Covid Arms hosting a hugely successful weekly comedy night to raise money for performers affected by the closure of venues and also The Trussell Trust. Live At The Covid Arms is now a monthly event and has so far raised over £150,000 for The Trussell Trust.
Kiri is currently touring the UK with her brand new show Home Truths.
Empathy Pains is available to download here: https://kiripritchardmclean.gumroad.com/l/cglhn
