Just over a year ago, I had an itch. Not the contagious kind where you find yourself in the pharmacy showing off an angry, red patch of skin on some obscure part of your body to some unsuspecting young fella who is suddenly questioning his life choices. (We’ve all been there.) No, not that kind. I mean when a thought gets into your head and you have to satisfy an urge to do something about it. Well, I had one of those. (I’ve had the other kind too but that’s a story for another day.)
It occurred to me in March 2023 that it might be a good idea to try stand up comedy for the first time. Had I long harboured the idea to do it? Honestly, no, but once the idea took root I couldn’t shake it off.
My comedy writing pal, Orla Doherty, did stand up comedy and she ran a comedy club in Portmarnock, Dublin before Covid. I remember thinking, wow, I could never do that. But that’s one of those limiting thoughts, one of the stories we sometimes tell ourselves to talk ourselves out of doing something that’s a bit out of bounds.
Now, as an accountant, if there is one thing I’m good at it’s analysis. I split stand up into three things. Public speaking, I can do that, it was part of my job. I’d have to be funny – the voices in my head say funny stuff all the time so in all likelihood someone else will find it funny too. And, I have to remember it all. At age 50, brain fog hasn’t set in just yet so I should be ok on that front too.
The other thing we accountants are preoccupied with is contingency planning – what could possibly go wrong? My set could be awful. So what? I deemed that survivable. So, how’d it go? I loved it. And the audience laughed out loud which is the whole point of the exercise.
That experience led myself and Orla to engage with Funny Women, and founder Lynne Parker trusted us to become the new Irish producers. Orla and I, as comedy duo ChatterBoxx, went on to produce two sell-out all-female stand up comedy shows in the iconic Whelan’s on Wexford Street, Dublin last year.
Deirdre O’Kane headlined our last show and Funny Women alumni, DirtBird Sinead Culbert, Justine Stafford and Louise O’Toole have performed at our shows. We top and tail our shows with music and at the end of the night, everyone is on their feet singing, clapping and wondering how to resolve runny mascara having cried with laughter.
The next Dublin show returns to Whelans on Monday, 20th May. Emma Doran will headline. Apart from being a comedian, she has drawn huge audiences with her online sketches and podcasts.
DirtBird Sue Collins is joining the line-up (well, we couldn’t have one DirtBird without the other). Cork comedian and DJ Sinead Quinlan will make her way to the capital and author/illustrator Aoife Dooley will make her comedy comeback.
Barbara Scully was epic at our first show, she ad-libbed hilarious extracts from her book Wise Up. We’ll have another cheeky panel discussion moderated by Maria McKenzie (aka No Spring Chicken on social media), music by Jessica Smith and Orla and I will MC the show.
It’ll be another feel-good, night of craic and belly laughs. We are so grateful for the opportunity to host these shows and Orla and I can’t wait to see you all there.
Book your tickets here!
