OLDER BOLDER WISER

This is a kind of bitter-sweet, special weekend for me. I am bringing my Older Bolder Wiser odyssey to end with a final performance in Greystones on Saturday night (28^th March) in the lovely Whale Theatre.

If you had told me back in 2022 when my book ‘Wise Up’ was published, that it would lead me to performing my own One Woman Show of comedy storytelling, I would have laughed in your face and roared “absolutely not.” Because back in 2015 I took part in a charity event, called ‘Under My Bed’ where ‘personalities’ dramatized a story from their childhood on stage in Smock Alley. Each performer was allocated a proper acting coach/director to work with, so I had lots of help. And although I didn’t forget or even fluff my lines, it was one of the most terrifying experiences of my life.

I remember being backstage on opening night and meeting a ‘proper’ actor. I must have looked ill with fright as he asked me if I was OK. I said I was sick with nerves. He reassured me that I would experience a huge high once I came off stage and that would make it all worth it.

I met him again when I came off. “You did great,” he said, “and how is that high?”

“High?” I said. “I feel no high, just relief. I feel like I have just been in a multi car pile up on the M50 and have just realised that I have survived and am not injured.”

It was an experience I was glad I had, but I vowed to never go on stage again. Performing on stage just wasn’t for me. So, the fact that I have spent the last 18 months touring my own One Woman Show is something I had never, ever envisaged.

As I look back at my life from the vantage point of 64 years, I can see that very little was actually planned. Lots of things that were to change my life, just kind of happened in an unexpected way.

After I published my book, Wise Up, (in 2022 – pay attention) I was contacted by a woman called Orla Diamantino who asked if I would meet her for coffee as she wanted to talk to me about her book. She had written a memoir and thought maybe I could offer some advice.

We met for coffee (she was late)… and I am not sure if I was of any help to her. But we were then connected on social media and met again at a book launch when she introduced me to her friend and co-writer, Val Troy. They had met through the writing group, Writers Ink and were collaborating on a script for a TV series.

A couple of weeks later I was contacted again by Orla who asked if I might be able to meet her and Val in Malahide as they wanted to talk to me about another project they were involved with. Being the very kind person I am, I made my way to Malahide and Orla’s apartment where they told me all about Funny Women and a show they had in the pipeline.

Funny Women in an organisation that was set up in the UK over 20 years ago to promote women in comedy and Val and Orla had just set up the Irish branch and were organising their first all female comedy show. I listened and assumed they wanted my help in promoting it.

But no. They wanted me to take part. To go on stage and do a ‘comedy set’.

“Listen”, I said, “ye are both great and this is a great idea… but you can f*ck off if you think I have any intention in getting on stage. I will buy a ticket and I’ll help with promotion… but nothing more.”

They wouldn’t take no for an answer. And I was aware that I was locked into an apartment ON THE NORTHSIDE…. Miles away from my home in Dun Laoghaire. It was getting late and I was getting hungry. But they kept cajoling (bullying is a big word). So in the end, just to get out of the place, I agreed to do a little reading from my book. One that might be a bit amusing. I finally was released and went home for a lie down.

And I promptly forgot all about it. Until, the day of the show. By then I had the running order. There were three proper comedians before me and with three after and I realised that I would just kill the vibe if I got up to read… like a priest at mass giving the notices. No. I couldn’t to that… and so I began to rework the piece I was going to read, which was on the hilarity of smear tests (?) into more of a performance piece.

Like my Smock Alley experience, going into the iconic Whelans that night was terrifying. I was far and away the oldest women on the bill. But I am pleased to say that it went very well… and I did, finally get to experience the ‘high’ that the actor told me about back in 2015.

I left Whelans that night feeling that I had a story to dine out on for weeks…. ‘the night I became a comedian for ten minutes’.

But it seems that the universe had other plans and a few weeks later I was approached by Lawlors Hotel in Naas to see if I might be up for doing an event with them. They thought maybe a book event, or a reading. On the spur of the moment, I realised that this was a chance to see if I could do more than a ten minute set on Smear Tests. So I suggested to Lawlors that I do a One Woman Show. They were keen and very supportive and we sold out. So, Older Bolder Wiser was born. That was in October 2024.

Since then I have toured the show in wonderful and varied venues throughout last year. I had a blast. Most shows sold out. I received some standing ovations – not boasting…. But …. Yeah, I am boasting. But best of all, I have met so many fantastic women at these shows… and have heard some of their stories which is such a privilege.

I know that I am serving an audience that is not well served by comedy because there aren’t too many aul wans in their 60s doing what I do; which by the way, I call comedy storytelling.

So now I am bringing Older Bolder Wiser to an end with my final show in The Whale Theatre in Greystones on Saturday. I am very proud of what I have managed to achieve in the last 18 months of this shows journey. But most of all I am very grateful.

Grateful to my comedy sisters – Val Troy and Orla Diamantino who set me on this journey. Grateful to friends and family who have PAID to hear stories that they may be familiar with already. But most of all I am grateful to the audiences – both women and men – who came along and got it and laughed their socks off. There is nothing as pure as hearing an audience laughing at your efforts to entertain.

Who would have thought that publishing a book, would have led to this? Not me. And it proves something that I truly believe – and that is that we all need to be awake to opportunities especially the ones that present themselves where you least expect them and can lead you off to places you had never planned on going.

On the 30^th of April I begin my new show tour – I will tell you about that next week.

But there are still some tickets for Greystones on Saturday if you want to catch Older Bolder Wiser and I have invited the women who started this Orla and Val to join me on stage for extra craic. So maybe see you there….

Tickets here