Instagram - katieyang_comedy.
To Book
https://sydneyfringe.com/events/a-very-chinese-time/
A Very Chinese Time | Sydney Fringe.
- 22 - 26 Sep | 1 hour
- Venue: Erskineville Town Hall - Emerging Artist Share House - The Spare Room
Katie Yang returns to The Toastmasters Experience for a lively catch-up, just over a year after her first appearance on the podcast. To listen to the previous episode, check out Episode 48 posted in July 2025.
Katie originally joined Toastmasters in 2019 with an unusual motivation—to improve communication in her marriage. Along the way, however, she discovered something unexpected: a talent for making people laugh.
Since her last interview, Katie’s comedy journey has gathered serious momentum. What began as an experiment inspired by a Toastmasters Pathways project has developed into a genuine passion, with Katie now performing stand-up two to five times a week at venues across Sydney and beyond.
Katie shares how Toastmasters gave her two important foundations for comedy: plenty of stage time to overcome her nerves, and the opportunity to develop humorous material through the Just for Laughs Toastmasters Club. She also reflects on the realities of stand-up—the great audiences, the difficult nights, rejection, tiny crowds and the resilience required to simply keep showing up.
A major milestone in Katie’s journey is her upcoming Sydney Fringe show, A Very Chinese Time, running from 22–26 September at Erskineville Town Hall. Drawing on cultural differences, family life, marriage, migration and her experiences as a Chinese-Australian woman, Katie brings her own distinctive perspective to the comedy stage.
Looking ahead, Katie even dreams of taking her comedy into regional Australia, where she hopes humour can help bring different cultures together.
Her advice for Toastmasters considering comedy is wonderfully simple: just start. Write one joke, work on it, refine it and keep going.
Katie’s story is a wonderful reminder that sometimes an unexpected Toastmasters project can uncover a passion you never knew you had.
