They often say that there’s humour to be found in tragedy. Harriet Kemsley’s show this year, Everything Always Works Out For Me, is that very notion in action. She’s split from her husband (fellow comedian Bobby Mair) and, possibly more traumatising, failed miserably when she appeared on Celebrity Mastermind. ‘Things have gone so completely off plan that the show has kind of written itself,’ she says. ‘So many ridiculous things kept happening that I knew would be funny with some hindsight... at least for other people! It’s about trying to stay positive when absolutely everything is falling apart. Dating again in my 30s in a whole new landscape. I think it’s definitely going to be my funniest show, despite all the disasters.’

Kemsley has been an acclaimed presence on the comedy scene for well over a decade now. While it feels like she was born to it, she did start off attempting serious acting. Although admitting to being very shy, Kemsley reckons it gave her a proper chance to express herself.

‘I thought I was going to be a serious actor, but every time I did it people laughed. My parents were watching Live At The Apollo one night and they said I should give it a go: I’ve yet to meet anyone else whose parents have suggested that. Other parents seem to have much higher expectations for their children. Mine were like “I guess this is her best option!” But I tried and got hooked. It gave me a way of connecting with people, and was a huge relief as I was terrible at every other job.’ Her influences back then were suitably quirky, with Kemsley’s own off-beat style helping her get noticed.

‘When I started, I loved Emo Philips; his jokes were perfect and he seemed like a magical person. Then I discovered Maria Bamford; she’s one of the best stand-ups around, completely herself, so honest and funny. I also really love Nate Bargatze. I started at the same time as Kate Lucas and I was completely blown away. She wrote a very funny song for my wedding about all the times I’ve nearly died.’

Last time Kemsley was at the Fringe with a completed show was in 2018, the year of a disturbing (but necessary it now seems) amount of #MeToo works by female comedians. Slutty Joan was her own, in which she denounced the slut-shamers. Has much changed in the years since? ‘There’s still a long way to go. I did my first ever gig last month that happened to be all-women. It wasn’t a special women’s day or a charity gig, it just by coincidence happened to be all women and that was fantastic. We danced like crazy in the bar afterwards; a very different vibe to the predominantly male comedy green rooms when I started.’

Harriet Kemsley: Everything Always Works Out For Me, Monkey Barrel, 31 July–12 August, 6.10pm.