Racking up over 36 million likes on TikTok for her hilarious character sketches, Laura Ramoso is making the leap from online to IRL at this year’s Fringe festival with debut hour Frances. 

Alongside challenging her to create a ‘Girl who just got back from Edinburgh Fringe’ sketch, we threw some questions about social media, inspiration and being a polyglot at the Toronto-based German/Italian comic.

Was sketch comedy a path you always wanted to pursue?

Not initially. I went to theatre school, and I always thought that I'd be more of a classical dramatic actor. Even though I enjoyed the comedic roles and the comedic plays the most, I always thought I would just go into normal theatre. It wasn't until I saw a performance of The Second City, which is a quintessential North American sketch theatre, that I even knew that kind of performance was possible. And then when I saw them perform in Chicago, my whole mindset shifted, and I thought, that's exactly what I want to do. Since that moment, I started to pursue sketch.

Where do you find the material for your jokes? What inspires it?

Real people, real situations that I think are funny or interesting in normal life. I have a hard time just imagining things and coming up with them. But I take inspiration from the real world as much as I can in the most mundane places, like the subway or, I don't know, the underground, the tube and the grocery store and things like that. 

You speak many languages - English, German, Italian and French - are there any others you would like to learn?

Not pursuing any right now, but if I had to, gun to my head, learn a language and pick one, I think it would have to be Portuguese. I think it could be very interesting. Absolutely zero reason, except maybe I kind of feel that with my Italian, it might be a little easier to get into it than another language. And same with Spanish. Portuguese would probably be a bit more of a challenge.

What is the difference between performing live to a crowd or posting a sketch to your almost 800k followers online?

Even though they are both sketch comedy, I would consider them completely different mediums. The way that you have to write a sketch or a character for stage versus online is totally different. The main thing being, obviously, editing. You can do so much with editing online. On stage you have to provide context that the online platform has automatically. Like, when you have my German Mom character, people know exactly what it is and you just get right into it. On stage, you have to provide that context, but then also be theatrical and also be a good live performer and also be adaptable. They take completely different skills.

Have you been to Edinburgh before? How excited are you to be a part of the Fringe this year?

Oh my God I've never been to Edinburgh. Can you imagine if I said I'm not excited at all? I'm actually dreading it. No, I'm so excited. I'm so nervous and the anticipation is killing me. I've just been fantasising and thinking about what the experience is going to be like and I feel like I have no idea what is awaiting me at the other end. I can't wait to come.

What can people expect to see at your show, Frances?

So they will be seeing some of my most popular online characters, like German Mom and Italian Dad and three Girls Who Just Got Back From Europe. But then also on top of that, there is a narrative, a story, the story of Frances weaved throughout the different sketches of the different characters. So a lot of characters, a lot of different styles of sets and sketches. And then a little message at the end, which I can't talk about. Not because it's crazy, only because it's the only shred of mystery that I have left.

Finally, out of your sketch characters - German Mom, Italian Dad and ‘Girl Who Just Got Back From…’ - who would you rather have by your side in an escape room?

The German Mom. 100% no nonsense. She probably built the escape room herself. She probably did it for me as a test to test my brain and to make me more adaptable to real life. Girls Who Just Got Back would just be like bouncing off the walls and drinking. Italian Dad wouldn't be in there at all. He'd be at home or at work.

Laura Ramoso: Frances, Pleasance Dome, 2–28 August (not 14), 8.20pm. Watch Ramoso's Edinburgh sketch now.