Kathleen Hughes brings a cosy nostalgia and a truly local perspective to the Glasgow Comedy festival in her new work-in-progress, ‘Twig’.

What started as a show about her lineage is now blossoming into a WIP exploring history, family and legacy, while keeping that signature warmth and silly-but-sharp humour Kathleen has become known for. Sprinkled with the perfect level of awareness of the times we are currently living in and how her perspective fits in, Kathleen is ready to look at big subjects and take her audience on a journey with her, branching out from her debut hour in 2024.

[No more tree puns, promise]

Will we see the return of the lab coat and PowerPoint from your debut hour, ‘Cryptid’?

Yeah, I love things like that. When I watch a comedy show and it just has, like a wee touch of production value. Love a lighting change, love a soundscape. Just a wee something. So I am looking just now, how to incorporate some multimedia stuff and how to make it a wee bit more theatrical.

I surprised and impressed myself with ‘Cryptid’, with how daft it was at points. I’m a bit of an over-thinker, a bit analytical. I think deep rather than wide, and I wanted to try and get away from that a wee bit and just make it more enjoyable. I’m hoping that I can really bring that to ‘Twig’ as well and just make it fun and silly, and warm and inviting.

What’s the best thing you’ve learned about your family history?

My dad [is] a very proud Irish Catholic Glaswegian guy. So… we got ’23 and Me’ for his birthday. It came through the door, and he was so excited and he picked it up: we’re 86% Irish, which is fantastic… but it’s all from Ulster! Which is, like, not the one he was after! It really made me laugh because… these are lines drawn on a map from after any of these people would have been alive.

Favourite family member?

I feel like I’m not allowed to say [my fiancé]. I’m so similar to my mum and I think that’s something that I found really fun writing this… I think in getting a bit older and in writing about conversations that I’ve had with her; it’s given me a new perspective on stuff I maybe took for granted with how fun and silly she is.

What makes a Glasgow audience special?

I am from outside Glasgow, originally from Cumbernauld, but we grew up coming into Glasgow… and I do think of it as a home crowd and it feels a wee bit safe and that they’ll get me. We’re a real ‘last word’ people. Glaswegians don’t shy away on feedback – giving it or getting it. A thing that I think is really Glaswegian [is] people saying, ‘Oh, I really enjoyed that, it’s a story that’s really similar from my life.’ There’s a real conversation that happens in Glasgow because people don’t just sit and not say things.

What do you want your audience to take from this show?

[When] they feel like they’re brought with you and they’re in on it. I think ultimately, to me, that’s why I prefer comedy to other storytelling forms, you know that it works because other people connect with it. When you hear someone else laugh it’s because they go ‘Oh, yeah, me too.’ Partially because [this show] is so tied in with Scottish identity, just because I’m the person that’s writing it, I’m hoping that people feel seen and connect with that a bit more.

Your work-in-progress is called ‘Twig’… what’s your favourite tree?

I like birch, I think she’s kind-of a diva. Skinny diva. I just think they’re striking visually, the white trunk with the stripes. Love an oak tree, undeniably the moment, like, main character. I like as well the whole acorn/oak tree symbolism. I try to think about that quite a lot to motivate me…plant something and hurry up.

Sum up your show in five words?

History, Scottishness, family, legacy, silliness.

BONUS! Would you like to talk more about the walking tours you’re doing during the festival?

Yeah, I’m in a real history era because I’m also doing a Glasgow’s History walking tour. Ross Leslie runs Good Egg Comedy and he also is an experienced tour guide in Edinburgh. He and I have worked together previously on some shows… geared towards Glasgow’s history so we’re going to take that onto the streets! All the mad stuff, history-wise, Edinburgh really gets… but we don’t think of Glasgow as being anywhere near as historical. Glaswegians have been Glaswegians forever!

‘Twig (WIP)‘ will be at Gael & Grain on Sat 14 Mar 2026 at 17:15 as part of the Glasgow International Comedy Festival.

Kathleen and Ross Leslie will be doing their Glasgows History: A Comedy Walking Tour on 

on the Fri 13, 20, and 27 Mar 2026, starting at 10.00 at Duke of Wellington Statue.