What do the smash-hit TV series Baby Reindeer and Fleabag have in common? They both started out as plays at the largest arts/theater festival in the world—The Edinburgh Fringe Festival.
Many new artists take a show to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in hopes of launching their careers, or to attract industry attention, to gain recognition, or to potentially secure future opportunities. But what if you already have a stellar career in the entertainment industry? Meet power-house producer, Kate Barry— who, after 26 years of bringing other people’s stories to the screen (including multiple documentary films and docu-series for HBO, plus three #1 hits on Netflix) has decided it is time to tell her own story.
Kate is heading to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival to do a full month-long run of her solo show “Kate, Allie and the ’86 Mets”. Now, this is no easy task. The Edinburgh Fringe Festival can be grueling. You perform your hour-long show every day for the month of August alongside the fierce competition of another 3000+ shows. At times, you have zero audience to perform to, you stand a good chance of getting sick (imagine all those people squashed into theaters coughing on each other), you stand an even better chance of losing money, plus, you will land up exhausted, and yet…
Yes, it takes big brass kahonies (cojones) to take on a month-long run at The Edinburgh Fringe Festival especially with no previous theater experience. Not only that, but this is an unscripted show with no gimmicks. It’s not that Kate was dreaming of creating a solo show, or of being on stage. In fact, Kate freely admits that the last time she performed was in her parent’s living room at age 11, but the idea to find a creative way to tell her story, that has been brewing within her for several decades. Finally Kate has decided to simply “go for it”.
“Kate, Allie and the ’86 Mets” tells the story of two recently-divorced best friends, who, inspired by the 1986 hit sitcom “Kate and Allie”, move in together with their respective kids to solve the problems of single motherhood. Did it work out? Kate tells their decades long story exploring why their families really came together in 1986, and revealing that just two years ago she learned it was more than just friends, it was real love. This is Kate’s hilarious, nostalgic and tender excavation of a deeply bonded family, sprinkled with the magic of the 80’s landline phone, those cringe-worthy family photos, and the secrets some have had to keep to protect their love.
Kate Barry has produced hundreds of hours of film and television for Netflix, HBO, Apple, Hulu, Disney, Nat Geo, Amazon. Her films have premiered at festivals around the world, including Sundance, Tribeca, Toronto among others. Some of her recent titles include “Gone Girls” and “Titan” for Netflix (currently streaming), Britney vs Spears (2021) Take Care of Maya (2023)…and many more.
Kate will be performing at the RUBY in Appleton Tower. July 30th – August 24th @9:40pm
For those of you familiar with Edfringe, this is the prestigious Gilded Balloon’s brand-new venue (located just around the corner from Teviot).
If you’re at the Fringe, go cheer Kate on. Buy tickets here.
