When comedian and writer Nori Reed steps onto the Club Fugazi stage on Sat/6, it won’t just be another stop on her Cheeky Summer Tour. It will be a full-circle moment—the first time the comedian, writer, and actress headlines in the Bay Area since leaving for LA in 2019.
“It feels amazing,” says Reed. “I love the Bay Area so much, and I can’t wait to bring back some laughter and much-needed joy during this really difficult time.”
The return is especially poignant given that Reed’s comedic voice was forged here. After growing up in Kentucky, she began her career in Oakland, where she hosted the beloved monthly showcase Man Haters and built a following through appearances at Outside Lands, SF Sketchfest, and Clusterfest.
“A lot of my material deals with identity and cross-cultural, intersectional experiences, which is very Bay Area,” she explains. “It is an incredible place in the world where you have the privilege of interacting with so many diverse people.”
Since those early days, Reed has become a name to know in comedy and television. She’s written for “After Midnight” on CBS and served as story editor on Hulu’s animated series “Standing By” from creators Dan Levy and Ally Pankiw. She was also a writer on seasons five and six of Disney’s “Raven’s Home,” where she created Disney Channel’s first-ever live-action trans character—an achievement that earned both GLAAD and Emmy nominations.
Reed jokes about the outcomes: “It means a lot,” says the comedian. “It’s always wonderful to be noticed. I lost both, though, so … a two-time loser, huh?”
Her career has also been punctuated by stand-up highlights, including showcases on Showtime, HBO Max, and stages at the Netflix Is A Joke Festival, Belly Laughs, Comedy Central’s Clusterfest, and Outside Lands. SF Weekly once boldly named her “Oakland’s Next Great Comedian,” and New York Magazine’s Vulture spotlighted her as one of the “Comedians You Should Know and Will Know” in 2021.
Asked how television writing has influenced her stage work, Reed is quick to note that the reverse is actually true.
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“Stand-up has influenced my TV writing more than the other way around,” she says. “I love writing punchy jokes and diverse characters that view the world from an observant and curious perspective.”
But writing for herself onstage is different from shaping jokes for someone else on screen. “A lot of my material is based on personal experience, rather than opinions about others,” says Reed. “Writing for the late-night show ‘After Midnight,’ for example, you really get to put a lot of the views out there, which I also love. I also really love writing for other people and immersing myself in their worldview. It’s actually really fun.”
As she’s gained national attention, Reed has continued to challenge herself to keep her comedy evolving. “I continue to strive to be even more present in my work and truthful, coming from an honest place that isn’t influenced by what I might think people want to hear,” she says.
That honesty extends to how she navigates identity and representation. Reed has paved the way for trans voices in both comedy and children’s television, but she resists being reduced to labels. “This is always a challenge, for sure,” says the comedian. “I guess one way to fight this is by not answering questions like this, so take that.”
Her current Cheeky Summer Tour embraces that irreverence head-on. “Well, my favorite feature is my cheeks … on my face that is … and I am so cheeky, like a little devil, for sure,” Reed quips when asked about the inspiration behind the tour’s name.
As for what audiences can expect from her set at Club Fugazi, she says: “I tackle what it means to be trans right now at this moment in time, and really go there when it comes to how dark things feel right now. But at the end of the day, this is 100 percent comedy, so people can expect to laugh a lot.”
And after the Bay Area finale? Reed teases the possibility of something entirely unexpected. “Ah, who knows?” jokes the comedian. “I’m thinking about fleeing to Ireland to be a chaplain, so … let’s keep in touch.”
NORI REED Sat/6. Club Fugazi, SF. Tickets and more info here.
