BBC Radio Scotland Highlands and Islands

The Funny Life of...

Factual: Life Stories

Comedy

Julia Sutherland gets personal with some of Scotland's most fascinating comedy talents.

Julia Sutherland gets personal with some of Scotland's most fascinating comedy talents, as she digs into the darkest corners of their psyche, while they keep us laughing in the pro

The Funny Life of...: Series 1

The Funny Life of...: Series 1: Episode 5: Karen Bartke

Episode 5

Episode 5: Karen Bartke

Series 1

Karen Bartke

BBC Radio Scotland - The Funny Life of..., Series 1, Karen Bartke

Julia Sutherland gets personal with one of Scotland's most fascinating comedy talents.

Julia Sutherland gets personal with some of Scotland's most fascinating comedy talents, digging into the darkest corners of their psyche, while they keep us laughing along the way.

Julia Sutherland meets actor Karen Bartke for an intimate examination of her past, which reveals how developing a career in comedy and acting have helped her work through some of the emotional scars from her childhood.

Karen is best known as 'Officer Karen' in the popular BBC television series 'Scot Squad', but it was a long and tentative journey that led her into acting, then ultimately the world of improv comedy, where she excels.

Aged just five years old when her father suddenly left the family, Karen has been left with abandonment issues that have affected the rest of her life. Low self confidence and a deep-seated belief she was fundamentally unlovable informed many of her life choices - in education, professional decisions and her personal life. 

Despite early signs of talent, she spent 15 years working in a job she 'fell into' after university, only pursuing acting as a career after taking redundancy. Emboldened with a fresh start in life, Karen faced her fears and became determined to turn an obsessive hobby into a career to be proud of.

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The Funny Life of...

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Episode 5: Karen Bartke

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