CLONAKILTY writer and budding artist Holly Hughes is set to make her Dublin Fringe debut this September with her hilarious and provocative one-woman show.
With a lengthy title - I Want To Speak To Your Manager (How I Was Radicalised, And Became…Karen) - the all-female led production blends personal storytelling and stand-up as Holly reclaims the typical ‘Karen’ stereotype we’re all familiar with and turns it on its head.
Laced with sharp humour, the show demands justice for society’s most misunderstood figure: the serial complainer Karen, as it highlights her quest one complaint email at a time.
Holly not only recounts harrowing personal tales of her real-life crusade for vindication – including an attempt to take the Australian public transport system to court – she also raises questions that go beyond the ‘Karen’ stereotype.
At one point ‘Karen’ ruminates: ‘Staring at the revolting pint of Guinness, I had a choice to make. I could either drink the asbestos volcano put in front of me and thus commit an act of treason against my homeland, or I could do the one thing I’d sworn I would never do; I could complain.’
The performance marks a significant moment for Holly in her career, as she is already an award-winning poet (havaing garnered third place at the recent 2025 World Poetry Slam in Paris) and a published writer.
‘Being selected for the Dublin Fringe Festival is very much a ‘pinch me’ moment,’ admitted Holly. ‘I’m really proud of my show and cannot wait to perform at a festival that amplifies fresh, individual voices.
‘At her core, Karen embodies standing up for what you believe in, being difficult and saying the uncomfortable things out loud. I hope the audience relate to this while having a laugh along the way.’
The show runs across two weekends this September at The Pearse Centre in Dublin and tickets are now available at www.fringefest.com
