Comedian Karla Gowlett Debuts Show on Liz Truss at Edinburgh Festival Fringe

Karla Gowlett, a comedian who gained fame for her parody of former Prime Minister Liz Truss, has launched a new show titled "The Exorcism of Liz Truss" at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. The show explores Gowlett's journey of distancing herself from the political figure, whom she initially resembled but only became aware of after Truss's rise to national prominence. Gowlett's character, Liv Struss, emerged after friends noted the likeness, leading to viral videos that garnered millions of views. In her debut performance, Gowlett reflects on her initial feelings of jealousy towards Truss, believing the politician was outshining her in the comedy realm. "It was a real shock when I realised she was actually a politician," she remarked, highlighting the unexpected nature of her newfound career as a political parodist. Gowlett began creating Liv Struss content in August 2022, coinciding with Truss's bid for Tory leadership, and quickly became recognized in the political satire scene. Despite her success, Gowlett admits to having previously found politics intimidating, often avoiding it in her comedic work due to a lack of confidence in her knowledge. She humorously notes that Truss's brief tenure as Prime Minister—lasting only 49 days—mirrored the rapid rise and fall of her own career in political parody. "There’s an intrigue and fascination around her," Gowlett stated, emphasizing that her character runs parallel to Truss rather than being a direct representation.