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Kate-Lois Elliott: How To Belong Without Joining A Cult – Review

I was drawn to Kate-Lois Elliott’s show because the blurb on the Brighton Fringe website said she’d had a sellout run at Edinburgh. A testament to this, Brighton Komedia‘s studio was full to the brim when Kate brought her show to a Brighton audience on Saturday. I was one of the last audience members to arrive, which meant I had to squeeze into the last remaining seat… on the front row of course. Thankfully I didn’t get picked on.

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Kate acknowledged that many people might have come because they love cults (thanks Netflix). The show weaved together audience participation where we made our own potential cult and Kate’s reflections on cults. Kate’s mum previously escaped a secretive cult so she shared plenty of anecdotes. She also convinced us we had all been part of a cult – from going to high school to Tesco Clubcard.

Kate-Lois Elliott
Photo credit: Kate-Lois Elliott

Our crowdsourced cult was ‘The best cult in Hove, actually’. We agreed to all wear dinosaur socks and to have snacks and naps in the initiation ceremony. Burnt beef ends would be available and we would eat toast and jam together (rubbing jam into each other’s toes was thankfully vetoed).

This is a clever and witty show with a captivating USP. Kate is down-to-earth and relatable. Her punchy one liners delighted the audience and one that will particularly stay with me is the female equivalent of being kicked in the balls is not childbirth but… hen dos!

Kate-Lois Elliott is certainly one to watch.

Website: https://www.kateloiselliott.com/

Becky Barnes

Becky is a freelance journalist who joined We Love Brighton in November 2023. The sea, friendly community and green spaces drew Becky back to the coast after more than a decade in London. She trained to be a journalist here in 2010 and is thrilled to be back. She loves being in nature, swimming in the sea and trying new things. Becky hopes her determination to seize the day in this wonderful city will help and inspire others to enjoy their time in Brighton too.