Rachel Kaly, a comedian named by Vulture as a Comedian You Should and Will Know in 2023, is set to bring her hotly anticipated debut hour, “Hospital Hour,” to the Pleasance Courtyard – Bunker Two at this year’s Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Running from July 31st to August 25th at 6:55 pm, this show promises to be an unmissable event.
“Hospital Hour” delves into Rachel’s life, explaining why she’s been to the hospital over 300 times, with a focus on her mental illness. The show chronologically catalogs the events that have led to her psychological distress, from starting her comedy career at age 5 to witnessing 9/11 from her elementary school, just a mile away from Ground Zero.
In this honest, confessional show, Rachel recounts the traumatic ways her father estranged himself from her, triggering her mental illness. From sending scathing emails to her at age 10 to crashing her bat mitzvah, her father’s actions have had profound effects on her mental health. Rachel also discusses growing up in New York City, being gay, dealing with other family members’ poor behavior, and her experiences with terrible therapists and experimental medical treatments.
Rachel Kaly is a queer Middle Eastern American from New York City, who began performing at a young age. She was on The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien at age 5 and started doing stand-up at the Gotham Comedy Club at 9. She studied playwriting, trained in improv and sketch comedy at Second City, Upright Citizens Brigade, and the Annoyance Theatre, and performs stand-up regularly nationwide. Rachel has written for Comedy Central’s Digman!, voices a character on the show, and has acted in HBO’s High Maintenance. She is currently developing a TV show with HBO and co-hosts the critically acclaimed podcast “Too Far” with Robby Hoffman, featured by The New York Times, The Atlantic, and Paste Magazine.
Book Here: Rachel Kaly: Hospital Hour | Comedy | Edinburgh Festival Fringe (edfringe.com)