Comedian Kate Smurthwaite is going to write 21 completely different shows, one a day, each written in 24 hours, for this year’s Edinburgh Fringe. 

 

Her show is titled: Kate Smurthwaite writes and performs a brand new full-length stand-up show every single day for the entire Edinburgh Fringe based on audience suggestions from the previous day (not Tuesdays)

 

The brochure listing reads: Could anyone else do this? Probably not. Can Kate? Find out…

 

On her website she lays out the rules she has set herself for this challenge as well as some information about how she plans to do it.

 

 

1. Do not contact me on Tuesdays. That is my day off!

 

2. Shows will be predominantly stand-up but may contain small elements of poetry, music, sketch and other performance types.

 

3. Each show will be a minimum of 50 minutes long of which a maximum three minutes of material total can be from Kate’s previous shows. 

 

4. Each show will have an individual title, e-flyer and blurb which will be on her Instagram page in advance of the show.

 

5. No AI will be used to write material  (also that’s wholly immoral and Kate opposes the use of AI everywhere) although of course Kate will sometimes use search engines to research topics.

 

6. After each show audience members will suggest topics for the next show. 

 

7. Kate will select from the suggested topics and try to incorporate as much as possible but will reject repeat topics and tie-ins to media franchises she is not familiar with. 

 

8. Those who cannot attend the show (or are planning to come the following day) can suggest topics by email to [email protected] between 7.30 and 8.30pm on show days (and also on the day before the first show 7th Aug 2026).

 

9. All shows will be filmed for future further use and so the challenge can be verified.

 

Kate has written more than 25 solo shows since she started in comedy in 2004. She has taught comedy since 2009 at City Academy. She’s also written for TV and radio too, typically for topical fast-turnaround shows like Have I Got News For You, BBC3’s BAFTA-winning The Revolution Will Be Televised and recently BBC Scotland’s Breaking The News. She has also written for hundreds of other performers from famous names to up and coming acts, business people wanting to add humor to presentations and events, best men to drag queens. So maybe there is a chance she can do it.

 

Speaking about her plan she says: "I honestly have no idea how far through the month I’ll get. It’s something I’ve always wanted to do, and I’m 50 now. It’s not going to get easier when I’m 60 is it?

 

I think I can write about 5-7 mins of comedy material in an hour. That’s what I aim for when I write for other people. I’m pre-writing as many blocks of material as I can and hope to have a pile of maybe 100 pre-written routines I can utilise at least one or two of each day. Of course it will depend on what topics come up. If I’m lucky maybe there’s a story from my own life I can include with just some “punching up” (adding joke lines).

 

When my show finishes I’ll head straight to dinner and while I’m eating I’ll write a title, outline and blurb for the new show. Plus I’ll send off info for a flyer/poster design (different people will help with this during the Fringe). Then I hope to be able to spend a couple of hours writing before my long-running late show Late With Kate. 

 

I’m going to treat my late show as my window for seeing friends and socialising each day but I’ll also probably try out a little of the material I’ve written or plan to use. I’ll be writing on the bus home too of course. I hope to get to bed for 2am and get up again at 10am.

 

In the morning I’ll do a couple of hours of self care - exercise or take a walk, have breakfast and a bath, make some lunch and dinner to take with me. I also need to fit in things like laundry and any unavoidable admin.

 

If I start writing again at about 1pm, a couple more hours of new material writing before hopefully starting to fill in gaps and weave the routines together. Some days I may need to put together a slide show or some clips or even find a prop or costume item I can use. Then around 5pm I’ll get the bus into town to do a little flyering 

 

I’m doing one “preview” at Oxford Comedy Festival on 14th July to test the process. And aside from that I’m practicing writing on random topics for 30mins at a time to try to work as fast as I can and develop a bank of usable material.

 

My main concerns are if I am unwell or have to deal with major external problems. I also just don’t know what this will do to my mental wellbeing. On the one hand I love challenges and I love writing comedy. I’m excited to do it all day every day. I will take Tuesdays off."

 

If she is unable to continue the challenge she will announce it and perform a show of highlights from previous shows until she is able to resume.

 

 

Kate Smurthwaite writes and performs a brand new full-length stand-up show every single day for the entire Edinburgh Fringe based on audience suggestions from the previous day (not Tuesdays)

 

8th-30th August (not Tues) 7.40pm Banshee Labyrinth Cinema Room, free (non-ticketed)