Stratford’s All-Star Comes Home: An Interview with Kat B

Old School Entertainer

To call Kat Boyce just a comedian would be to sell the multi-talented entertainer incredibly short. Since the start of his career as a performer, Boyce has been a teacher, MC, actor, dancer, MTV Base presenter and radio host – amongst other things. 

“I never wanted to be a comedian,” Boyce says, “I just wanted to be a good performer.” Performing has been a lifelong passion for Boyce, who began as an actor with Theatre Royal Stratford East as a child. His attitude towards being an entertainer is shaped by this experience and contributing to shows in any way he could, whether through singing, dancing, or helping out behind the scenes. 

Even now, he resists labelling himself as just one thing. When discussing how he got into comedy, it’s less of a distinct moment and more of a shift over time in how other people described him. “I’ve just been doing me. If that falls into the category of comedy, then, hey,” he says with a shrug.

A Comic and His Crowd

Compared to Boyce’s other creative pursuits, comedy involves a more intimate relationship between performer and audience. A good comic connects to an audience and speaks to their lived experience, but relatability can lead to fans who feel a bit too familiar with comics. “Comedy is one of the art forms where people feel like they know you or feel like they can say anything they want to you,” Boyce explains. He contrasts the experience with live theatre, where audiences don’t interrupt a show when they disagree with its direction.

When it comes to disruptions at his performances, Boyce doesn’t let them phase him. “Anything anybody says, I won’t take as an attack. I just laugh at it.” He has little time for negativity, either live or online. His focus is on the people in the audience who want to be there and whether they have a good time.

 Going with the Flow

If a show starts at eight o’clock, Boyce is there early, ready to start on time, every time. Whether performing for a crowd of a hundred or a single person sitting alone, “if that one person’s come,” he says, “then I’m going to make that person smile and laugh.”

That care for the audience comes through in how Boyce discusses his approach to stand-up. “Some comics go out there to offend,” Kat says, “I just go out there and talk about life and the things that I find funny.” If he needs to switch up his material to suit the crowd better, he’s open to making it work. “There are some comics where you put them on, and that’s all they can do – they can’t change form… me, I just flow. I do whatever.”

Always Improving

Learning from others, be it the audience or other entertainers, is critical to Boyce. When asked about his inspirations, Boyce rattles off a mile-long list of actors and comics who have helped him improve in different ways. 

Bad shows or off days are part of that learning experience. “With comedy, it’s one of those things that – you can’t study it and be a master of it in three years because you’ve just looked at it.” He says, “You’ve gotta live it. You’ve gotta have good days and bad days.” It’s easy to blame the audience for not receiving the material, but Boyce isn’t afraid to turn his gaze inward. Rather than making excuses for it, he uses those experiences to grow as a comic.

 New Mediums, New Audiences

While Boyce recognises the success social media has brought to some people, posting content isn’t his number one priority. The rapid-fire pace of the internet isn’t always suited to his style of comedy. He’d rather have his audiences turn up to a show and experience it as intended. Drawing parallels to the musical theatre, Boyce says, “Nobody’s doing Wicked or The Wiz on Instagram in short spurts and then expecting you to see the show and go, ‘oh yeah, it’s just as great.’”

Similarly, the aspects of comedy that work well in a video format don’t always translate to the live stage. A comedian has all the time in the world to rehearse what they put online, Kat explains, but making it look natural on stage is a different beast.

“The comedy is going to be completely different because they’re coming from a completely different perspective,” Boyce says. The comics coming up through the social media scene are developing their craft in a very fast-paced environment and with a completely different set of tools. 

Different styles of comedy resonate with different audiences, and if these comedians are connecting with a new generation of comedy fans, Boyce respects that. “They found a new way of doing comedy and a new way of accessing their audience,” he says. “So you can’t knock it. You can just only go, cool, and just keep watching the arts grow.”

Coming Home Again

Getting a call to perform back in Newham hit Boyce in a way other opportunities could never compare to. When Boyce talks about returning to Stratford for gigs, his voice changes and his relaxed expression shifts to one of awe and excitement. Those are the moments, Boyce says, when he thinks to himself, “I’ve made it.”  

Beyond the recognition, Boyce sees it as a chance to give back. “I was the child with the mashed-up trainers and the scruffy knee, just trying to figure out what I want to do in life.” He says. Now, having created his own path, he’s a light that others in his community can look up to, so all of the other kids with beat-up shoes and scraped knees know that they can do it, too.

See highlights of the full interview below.

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