Peggy Platt, Beloved Seattle Comedian/Actress Has Passed Away

Peggy Platt as Euomi Spudd (as the Virgin Mary) in the long running hit holiday variety show Ham for the Holidays. Photo: Chris Bennion/ACT

Terrible news to report. Beloved Seattle comedian/actress/performer PEGGY PLATT passed away in her sleep last night. She was 59 years old.

Best known as half of the Seattle comedy duo Dos Fallopia with fellow comedian/musician Lisa Koch, the two became part of Seattle’s Christmas holiday traditions with their long running “Ham for the Holidays” sketch variety show which ran for years at Theatre Off Jackson before moving to ACT theater. The duo, much influenced by classic sketch comedy artists as Carol Burnett, SCTV funny women Catherine O’Hara and Andrea Martin and the UK’s French & Saunders they also performed at gigs around the world since the two partnered up in 1990 with shows that combined music, satire, improv and dryly ironic political and social commentary.

Some of the iconic comedy characters they created included the always bickering mother/daughter country/western singing duo “The Spudds” with Peggy as the diva mama “Euomi” and the “Sequim Gay Men’s Choir” with Peggy as a sly gay bear who enjoyed telling tales on his other chorus members…all three of them.

Peggy also performed as a solo act as a comedian at clubs and venues around the country including winning the Seattle International Stand-up Comedy Competition in 1985 and opening for the likes of Cyndi Lauper, Jay Leno, Jerry Seinfeld, Kathy Griffin and Puppetry of the Penis over the years as a top Seattle stand up comedian.

As an actress, Peggy appeared in shows at many theaters in Seattle including theaters still with us like ACT and Seattle Children’s Theatre and On the Boards but also beloved theaters long gone like Empty Space and Alice B. She had a fun cross dressing role in 2003 as Doctor Scott in the 5th Avenue Theatre’s all-star “The Rocky Horror Show” which also starred local tv personality John Curley and up and coming actor Cheyenne Jackson.

Peggy Platt as “Vision” her popular spoken word artist character, here performing at Seattle’s long running big gay variety show, Sylvia O’Stayformore’s Bacon Strip

Peggy also appeared many times with local drag legends like Sylvia O’Stayformore, Mark Finley and Mama Tits and at many, many LGBTQ events and fundraisers for the last 40 years.

Peggy also had a prestigious IMDB credit as a funny librarian in the 1987 comedy film “Harry & The Henderson” which was filmed in the Seattle area and starred John Lithgow.

Amusingly, Peggy earned honorary LGBTQ status largely due to frequently working with out gay performers like longtime collaborator Lisa Koch and in queer shows/venues but the performer was actually a proud and out…straight woman but one with thousands of very devout LGBTQ fans and close friends.

She also very much considered herself a feminist comedian and used this quote in her bio:

“Let’s keep this simple: Peggy Platt is a feminist. Peggy Platt is funny. Peggy Platt thinks feminist issues can be funny.”

And, as a plus sized woman, Peggy wasn’t shy about addressing issues related to “fatphobia” winning praise with her variety show “Fat Girl Follies” in 2001.

It’s going to be hard for all us who loved Peggy as a person and as an exceptional comedic artist to realize we won’t have another chance to spend time with her, or all the wonderful characters she created over the years. 

A toast to the one, the only, the divine queen of Seattle comedy…Ms Peggy Platt.

Salud. 

Peggy Platt, left and Lisa Koch, right, are the popular Seattle comedy duo DOS FALLOPIA best known for their long running annual holiday show HAM FOR THE HOLIDAYS.