S02E34 Kathryn Mather, English speaker (Lancashire accent) - From Rochdale, Greater Manchester, England 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

Our latest focus on distinct accents on the British isles turns to Northwest England. Our guest Kathryn Mather comes from Rochdale, historically part of Lancashire but now part of Greater Manchester. “Likkle girl down in hospical” - have you heard that one before?Kathryn was crowned winner of Frog and Bucket World Series in 2017 (Manchester’s prestigious comedy club’s new act competition) and was placed third in Leicester Mercury Comedian of the year in 2019. She and your host Kuan-wen started comedy around the same time and did all those dreadful open mics together, as you can tell from their banters they have known each other for a long time. Kathryn shares why she chose to relocate to Southern England - for the weather! What a shocker - and how the same joke based on Northern stereotypes gets reactions for very different reasons in the south or the north of England.People still mock her accent. When asked who does so? “The southerners!” The conversation ends on the class divide in the UK and how the comedy industry’s take on working class representation still fails to tackle the structural issues. Kathryn explains why she rarely mentions her working class background - for she feels fraudulent, based on the society’s twisted definition of a working class family. Kathryn also explains how the privilege works for performers from a more affluent background and candidly why she wished she’d never started doing comedy.---------------------------------Follow Kathryn on Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/beforenowafterthen/Kathryn’s Historical Hot or Not podcast on Spotify and on Apple PodcastFollow your host Kuan-wen on Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/kuanwencomedy/---------------------------------00:49 Why can’t English people speak another language most of the time? Kathryn’s self-defence08:24 Moving down south from northwest England and losing the accent10:44 Southerners making fun of Kathryn’s accent12:58 “Likkle Girl down in hospical”; examples of Lancastrian/Mancunian accents15:36 Is mocking someone’s accent just (acceptable) banters (if between friends)? Are British bantz mean-spirited?22:21 “It seems like I am the only act without any accent tonight!”24:05 London centrism and the North (of England) ignored: how accent hierarchy reflects structural regional disparities in the UK27:40 How Kathryn accounts for her Northern identity when gigging in different parts of the UK31:32 The bad press Rochdale is somehow known for33:41 Why Kathryn chooses not to mention her working-class background often? How she sees the portrayal of being Northern and working class on the comedy scene42:49 Case in question: In what ways is it tougher for a comedian to make it when they don’t have much money or born with certain privileges47:30 Some more upbeat final message50:12 Kathryn’s social media---------------------------------Podcast intro music by @Taigenkawabe