Tell Us about:
Your latest stand up show:
My latest show is Nice Lady and it’s a mixture of stand-up, original songs and a forty-something Northern Irish woman slowly realising she doesn’t actually have to be nice all the time. It’s about getting older, finding your voice and saying the things you might previously have just smiled through. I’ve just taken it to the Edinburgh Fringe and played two nights at the Lyric Theatre Belfast, and I’m delighted to be bringing it to Manchester Women in Comedy Festival.
Your favourite joke you have created:
I once wrote a song claiming I had written Adele’s Hello, which remains one of my more ridiculous achievements.
Your favourite venue to perform at:
The Lyric Theatre Belfast is very special to me. Performing Nice Lady on the main stage there was a real pinch-me moment. That said, I also love tiny comedy rooms where the audience is basically sitting on your lap, so almost every other venue!
The joke that was the longest to write and why?
The more personal material in Nice Lady took me some time because you’re trying to find that sweet spot between funny and “should we call someone for her?”
Comedy hero:
Sorry I can’t pick one: Tina Fey and Victoria Wood. I also have a huge amount of love for Janey Godley, who once gave me a compliment that was both deeply touching and completely unprintable.
Dream venue to play at:
The London Palladium. Big theatre, piano, proper showbiz.
Describe the feeling you get when you walk on stage to do a show:
A mixture of absolute terror and “LOOK AT ME!” Right before I go on, I always wonder why I didn’t choose a hobby involving a nice quiet room. Then you get the first laugh and remember exactly why I do it.
The hardest joke to perform and why:
The really personal ones. There are bits in Nice Lady I probably wouldn’t have talked about publicly a few years ago. Now I think, “Sure, I’ve already told strangers in Edinburgh. What’s the worst that can happen?”
Essential items you always take on tour with you?
Keyboard. Chargers. Comfortable shoes. Far too many clothes.
Describe your fans in three words:
Funny, class and clumsy. Basically my people: well-meaning women who’ve walked into a door frame, overshared at the wrong moment and are just trying to get through the day with a bit of dignity.
What can we look forward to from you this year:
More Nice Lady, including Manchester Women in Comedy Festival, and more episodes of my podcast “Scundered” where comedians and performers tell me the stories they’d really rather everyone forgot.
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