Kate McLennan is an award-winning writer, stand-up comedian and actress. She is the co-writer of The Katering Show, where she plays an intolerable foodie alongside her food intolerant mate, Kate McCartney. The show launched on YouTube in 2015 and hit over 2 million views in its first week online. In 2016, a fresh new season of the hit series premiered on ABC iView. To date, the series is iView’s most-viewed original series, has had over 9 million views on YouTube and the channel has over 100,000 subscribers. The pair have also written a short-form narrative comedy called Bleak, which originally launched on YouTube before it was made into a TV pilot for ABC’s Comedy Showroom in 2016.

In 2017, having conquered the world of satirical cooking shows, the Kates set their sights on the chirpy world of morning TV with their signature brand of social awkwardness and unprofessionalism in their full-length series titled Get Krack!n, which aired on the ABC. The second and final season of Get Krack!n aired to much critical acclaim in 2019.

Kate’s TV appearances include It’s A Date, Comedy Up Late, Winners & Losers, House Husbands, SlideShow, Offspring, Ricketts Lane and The Project. Most recently, Kate appeared in Aunty Donna’s Glennridge Secondary College. Her voice features in the animations 1001 Nights, Dogstar, The Flamin’ Thongs, Wakkaville and Exchange Student Zero.

Kate has performed at numerous Melbourne International Comedy Festivals and performed stand-up comedy throughout Australia, the UK, US, Hong Kong and Singapore. Kate also toured India with MICF where she hosted the Roadshow and RAW Comedy competitions.

Both Kate McCartney and Kate McLennan won a 2018 AWGIE award for an episode of Get Krackin and received an AWGIE for The Katering Show in 2015. The second season of The Katering Show was nominated for an AACTA award in 2016. The Katering Show won Best Short-Form Digital Series and tied for a Best of the Fest award at the New York Television Festival in 2015.

In 2021 the Kates launched Slushy, an 8 part audio series for Audible Originals. An ordinary workplace comedy set in the most extraordinary place on earth – a research station in Antarctica.

Their feminist noir crime comedy series Deadloch is currently streaming on Amazon Prime Video.

Awards

AACTA Award for Best Screenplay in Television (Winner) – Deadloch, 2024
AWGIE AWARD Winner – Comedy, Situation or Narrative, Get Krack!n (2018)
AWGIE AWARD Winner – Drama or Comedy, Other Form, The Katering Show (2015)
KIT DENTON DISFELLOWSHIP Winner – Courage and Excellence in Performance Writing, Bleak (2012)
THE AGE M-IE AWARD Winner – Rising Comedy Star, The Debutante Diaries (2011)
MELBOURNE FRINGE FESTIVAL AWARD Winner – Best Emerging Artist, The Debutante Diaries (2006)
MELBOURNE FRINGE FESTIVAL AWARD Winner – Best Comedy Award, The Debutante Diaries (2006)

Writing

DEADLOCH
Amazon Studios, Guesswork Television, OK Great Productions 2023
SLUSHY
Guesswork Television Pty Ltd 2021
GET KRACK!N (Series 2)
Dir: Hayden Guppy, Get Krack!n Series Two Pty Ltd 2019
SANDO
Dir: Various, Jungle FTV 2018
GET KRACK!N (Series 1)
Dir: Hayden Guppy, Get Krack!n Series One Pty Ltd 2017
THE KATERING SHOW (Series 1 & 2)
Dir: Kate McCartney & Kate McLennan, Katering Productions 2015-2016
COMEDY SHOWROOM: BLEAK (Short)
Dir: Kate McCartney, ABC TV 2016
LITTLE LUNCH (Series 1)
Dir: Ian Reiser & Tim Bartley, Gristmill 2015
BLEAK: THE WEB SERIES
Lead Balloon Productions / Princess Pictures 2014
YOU’RE SKITTING ME (Series 2)
Dir: Dave Cartel & David Swann, Jigsaw Entertainment Pty Ltd 2013
THE MANSION
Dir: Dan Ilic & Peter Lawler, Foxtel Productions 2008
LET LOOSE LIVE
Dir. Ted Emery, Seven Network 2005

Television

SPICKS & SPECKS (Series 11)
Guest. Dir: Jon Olb, ABC TV 2021
SPICKS & SPECKS (‘00s Special)
Guest. Dir: Jon Olb, ABC TV 2020
CELEBRITY NAME GAME
Guest. Fremantle Media Australia Pty Limited 2019
HUGHESY, WE HAVE A PROBLEM (Series 3)
Guest. Screentime Pty Ltd 2019
GET KRACK!N (Series 2)
Role: Co-Host. Dir: Hayden Guppy, Get Krack!n Series Two Pty Ltd 2019
THE YEARLY WITH CHARLIE PICKERING
Guest. Half Hour News Hour Pty Ltd 2018
TALKIN’ ‘BOUT YOUR GENERATION (Series 5)
Guest. Dir: Jon Olb, Nine Network 2018
ABC NEW YEAR’S EVE 2017
Guest. ABC TV 2017
HAVE YOU BEEN PAYING ATTENTION? (Series 5)
Guest Quizmaster. Working Dog 2017
SHAUN MICALLEF’S MAD AS HELL (Series 7)
Guest. ABC TV 2017
GET KRACK!N (Series 1)
Co-Host. Dir: Hayden Guppy, Get Krack!n Series One Pty Ltd 2017
THE KATERING SHOW (Series 2)
Co-Host. Dir: Kate McCartney & Kate McLennan, Katering Productions 2016
SLUMBER PARTY
Guest. Dir: Michael Rucker, 2016
COMEDY SHOWROOM: BLEAK (Short)
Role: Anna O’Brien. Dir: Kate McCartney, ABC TV 2016
WINNERS & LOSERS (Series 4)
Role: Kathryn Piper. Dir: Various, Seven Network 2014-2015
SAMMY J & RANDY IN RICKETTS LANE
Role: Megan. Dir: Jonathan Brough, SP Ricketts Pty Ltd 2015
IN THE ZONE IV
Guest. Dir: Carla Reid, C31 2015
COMEDY UP LATE (Series 2)
Guest. Dir: Jon Olb, ABC2 2014
HOUSE HUSBANDS (Series 3)
Role: Skye. Dir: Grant Brown, Playmaker HH3 SPV Pty Limited 2014
COMEDY UP LATE (Series 1)
Guest. Dir: Jon Olb, ABC2 2013
SLIDESHOW
Guest. Shine Australia 2013
IT’S A DATE (Series 1)
Role: Jessica. Dir: Jonathan Brough & Peter Helliar, Princess Pictures 2013
LIVE ON BOWEN
Guest. Dir: Nick Weller, RMITV 2012
BEN ELTON LIVE FROM PLANET EARTH
Ensemble Cast. Dir: Peter Ots, Nine Network Australia 2010
OFFSPRING (Series 1)
Role: Café Girl. Dir: Kate Dennis, Southern Star 2010
THE MANSION
Role: Various Characters. Dir: Dan Ilic & Peter Lawler, Foxtel Productions 2008
LET LOOSE LIVE
Role: Various Characters. Dir. Ted Emery, Seven Network 2005
MDA (Series 2)
Role: Fan. Dir: Helen Gaynor, ABC TV 2003
STINGERS (Series 7)
Role: Melissa. Dir: Steve Mann, Beyond Simpson le Mesurier 2003

Podcast

SLUSHY
Role: Nat. Guesswork Television Pty Ltd 2021
ONLY WRONG ANSWERS.
Co-Host. Planet Broadcasting 2019-2020, 2023

Web Series

AUNTY DONNA – GLENNRIDGE SECONDARY COLLEGE
Role: Mark’s Mum. Haven’t You Done Well Productions Pty Ltd 2019
THE KATERING SHOW (Series 1)
Co-Host. Dir: Kate McCartney & Kate McLennan, Katering Productions 2015
BLEAK: THE WEB SERIES
Role: Anna. Lead Balloon Productions / Princess Pictures 2014

Voice Credits

SHERAZADE: THE UNTOLD STORIES
Role: Peribanu. Dir: Steve Bristow & Jody Gannon, Chocolate Liberation Front Pty Ltd 2017
DOGSTAR: CHRISTMAS IN SPACE
Role: Simone Clark / Celeste Sharp. Dir: Scott Vanden Bosch, Media World Pictures 2016
THE FLAMIN’ THONGS
Role: Narelle Thong. Dir: Kelly Lynagh, Media World Pictures 2014-2015
EXCHANGE STUDENT ZERO
Role: Charity. Dir: Maurice Argiro & Patrick Crawley, Bogan Entertainment Solutions 2012
DOGSTAR (SERIES 1, 2 & 3)
Role: Simone. Dir: Various, ScreenWest 2007-2011
WAKKAVILLE
Role: Missy. Ettamogah Productions 2008-2009

Film

KWIK FIX (Short)
Role: Samara. Dir. Kelly Hucker, VCA 2010
4 MINUTES OF FAME (Short)
Role: Carla. Dir. Emily Owens, Colour Me TV
ALL THE WAY TO THE TOP (Short)
Role: Hayley. Dir. Joelene Crnogorac, Bidiffy Productions 2007

Stage

STANDARD DOUBLE
With Wes Snelling. Dir: Mark Watson, Moosehead Awarded. MICF 2013
HOMEWARD BOUND
Solo show. Dir Celia Pacquola, Token Events 2012
COMEDY FESTIVAL ROADSHOW
Performer. Melbourne International Comedy Festival 2012
WOMEN OF LETTERS
Performer. Dir: Marieke Hardy & Michaela McGuire 2012
HOMEWARD BOUND
Solo show. Melbourne Fringe Festival 2011
I COULDA BEEN A SAILOR
Role: Nelly Thomas. Melbourne International Comedy Festival 2010
LIVIN’ THE DREAM
Performer/Writer. Dir Roz Hammond, Harris & McLennan
DEAD RIVER ENSEMBLE
Lead cast. Dir. Fiona Harris, Pregnant Goldfish Productions 2009
THE ENTHUSIASTS
Solo show. Dir. Joelene Crnogorac, Pregnant Goldfish
THE DEBUTANTE DIARIES
Solo show. Dir Fiona Harris, Pregnant Goldfish, National Tour
SHORT AND SWEET
Dir: Joelene Crnogorac, Pregnant Goldfish Productions
BEACONSFIELD THE MUSICAL
Cast. Dir: Luke Joslin, Downwind Media, Melbourne International Comedy Festival 2008
DUST
Dir: Donna Jackson, Hubcap Productions 2008
THE ENTHUSIASTS
Solo Show.  Dir: Joelene Crnogorac, MICF
THE DEBUTANTE DIARIES
Solo Show. Dir: Fiona Harris, MICF Adelaide Fringe, Melbourne International Comedy Festival, Edinburgh Fringe, Hothouse Theatre Comedy Festival 2007
ALL THE WAY TO THE TOP
Dir: Joelene Crnogorac, Short & Sweet Festival
THE DEBUTANTE DIARIES
Solo Show. Dir: Fiona Harris, Melbourne Fringe 2006
THE WRONG NIGHT
Ensemble. Melbourne International Comedy Festival 2006
OUTLOOKERS
Dir: Russell Fletcher, Arena Theatre Company
HOT WAXXXX
Dir: Susan Ellis, She’s Crafty 2005
HENPECKED
Ensemble. Dir: Catherine Green, MICF 2005
TOTAL ENTERTAINMENTS
Dir: Kate Gorman, Baby Banksia for Melbourne Fringe 2003
THE 666
Dir: Jon Stephens, MICF
THE SIX
Dir: Daniel Tusia, MICF 2002
THE HINDSIGHT PROPHECIES
Dir: Michael Broadstock, MIC