Laura Ramosa comedian Photo credit: Kristina RuddickKristina Ruddick/Supplied
Impersonations have made sketch comic Laura Ramoso a global comedy star.
Her online comedy sketches – based on her German mother and Italian father, as well as the Girl Who Just Got Back From [insert country here] – have earned her more than a million followers on each of Tiktok and Instagram.
Take one of her viral videos, where Ramoso, posing as her German mother, deadpans from a beach chair: “Ach, Laura, how come you have such small breasts? It certainly does not run in the family.” Comments on the video, which has more than 25 million views, show just how thoroughly relatable – and hysterical – her followers find it.
Ramoso originally thought she’d be an actor. But the University of Victoria theatre school grad soon found her way to sketch comedy and was performing on Toronto’s Second City stages when the pandemic lockdowns shuttered live shows.
“I’d been doing live comedy and sketch comedy for many years but I’d never done video content before the pandemic. It obviously took me a while to figure out the medium and the tech and the form,” she said from her home base in Toronto.
“A lot of live comedians will post the clips from their shows online, which works well. I like to do different kinds of live sketch and then different kinds of online content. I feel like it’s such a great way to get your material out there and the people who like it will end up finding you.”
And find her they did. Ramoso, who is thoughtful and charming when interviewed, describes her style as satirical, observational, relatable, character driven, and yes, very physical: “I love clowning.” The Globe spoke to her ahead of a string of performances in Edmonton, Calgary, Vancouver, Victoria, Montreal and Winnipeg in October and November.
What is it about your comedy that appeals to people?
The kind of comedy I love to make is to take something that’s true and very real and explode it to the point of exaggeration and the point of satire. And I think people really enjoy sharing laughs over things they see in their lives or witness in the people around them.
Who is your main audience?
It’s almost 90 per cent women versus 10 per cent men. And more than 50 per cent of them are between the ages of 25 and 34, which is my age range and my demographic. So in a live show, you’ll see a lot of women and they bring their moms or the moms bring their daughters. There’s a rogue husband or boyfriend who has no idea who I am in every single audience. And it’s always really fun to play with them.
What is it like being a young woman working in comedy?
Personally, I always struggled with insecurity, imposter syndrome, all of that. And you know, there’s your classic online discourse and hate about women in comedy or women aren’t funny, that sort of thing. But I will say, I try to keep very far away from that. And I feel great.
I feel like I have a very good support system in my family, my husband and my friends. And I’ve been lucky over the years to adopt a wonderful work, creative and management team.
How do your parents feel about “my German mother” and “my Italian father?”
They love the characters. They share them with their friends and they sometimes have notes – as they should. But there is a very clear departure. Obviously, at first, they were incredibly, incredibly, heavily influenced. But there is now a very clear departure between my mom and German mom and my dad and Italian dad.
Is what you do different from what a lot of other comedians are doing right now? How?
I think most comedy that you see is mainly stand-up – just because of its reach and its popularity. So I also think most people think that I do stand-up when they either come to the show for the first time or hear that I’m a comedian. I’ll say I do sketch comedy. Solo sketch comedy is also different from sketch comedy because I kind of blur the lines between storytelling, stand-up, sometimes theatre, and then pure sketch.
How do you think the Canadian comedy scene compares with what’s happening in other countries?
We have a very unique set-up here in Canada because we are modelling the U.K. and European style of public funding when it comes to the arts. But in a market that more resembles our southern neighbours in the U.S., who barely do that at all. We’re in a unique position where we have so much great comedic talent that is doing some really exciting things. But I do feel like at a certain point a lot of comedians feel like they need to leave Canada in order to keep growing. I don’t necessarily have an answer for this, but … it’s a shame because I think the community here is so wonderful.
One of the things I do at The Globe is co-host the Stress Test podcast. It looks at the personal finances of Gen Zs and Millennials, and focuses on helping them. If you were creating a sketch about money, using “my German mother” or “my Italian father,” what would that sound like?
Here’s what I would do. Italian dad is kind of really against credit cards and debit cards, and he wants things in cash only because he says that if you don’t see your money in your hands, then it’s easy to spend it. So he’s always pro cash.
Do you consider yourself a Toronto girl?
I am a Toronto girl. 100 per cent. I absolutely love it here.
Describe your ideal day off in Toronto. What do you do?
I probably grab a coffee at Romi’s on St. Clair West or at Krave Coffee. I have a walk around the park and Wychwood Barns. Hopefully it’s a Saturday and there’s a farmers’ market. Then I come home and I’m a certified clean freak. I love to clean, so I’ll probably be cleaning something, doing laundry. And then on my ideal day, I will have made plans with friends, either going over to a friend’s house or going out on Ossington and Dundas, which is, I think, the best part of town to go out in and have a great night out.
Ramoso’s Canadian tour dates include Edmonton Oct. 4, Calgary Oct. 5 & 6, Vancouver Oct. 9 & 10, Victoria Nov. 1, Montreal Nov. 7 & 8, and Winnipeg Nov. 28.
This interview was condensed and edited.
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