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Born in 1985, Laura O’Mahony grew up in White’s Cross, Co Cork. She began doing stand-up comedy in 2013. She has won critical acclaim as one third of the Cork comedy trio CCCahoots. Her screen credits include The Republic of Telly and Bridget & Eamon. She co-hosts the Red Raw podcast with Rob Heffernan. She will perform in The Improv Panto, Cork Opera House, Friday, December 6 – Saturday, December 28. See: www.corkoperahouse.ie.
Every evening growing up I was glued to Whose Line Is It Anyway? Tony Slattery – who, hilariously, went on to present Trivial Pursuit – was so bold, the little twinkle in his eye when he was about to say something risqué. You couldn’t get away with it now. This other fellow, John Sessions, did more intellectual improv. He was so quick. Then there was a girl, Josie Lawrence, who did singing improv. Watching adults playing, getting up to fierce mischief and craic, blew my mind.
I’ve seen each episode of Frasier a million times. It’s a warm blanket for me. My first baby briefly might have thought Frasier was her dad because we watched so much of it. The dynamic between Kelsey Grammar and David Hyde Pierce, who was Niles. That notion of grown men playing games. There’s so much craic in it. My favourite quote is when Frasier says, “Yes, Niles, if less is more, can you imagine how much more more would be?”
I’m a reality TV junkie. Big Brother appeals to that nosy side of my personality where you basically live with people and see how they get on. It’s the original social experiment. It’s so engaging. You can’t hide if you’re in the house for weeks on end. Even if you go in with a facade, it drops quickly. Big Brother very much started as real people, back in 2000, people you’d know on the street. As a child it was my introduction to LGBTQ+ people, people of different races because I was living in Cork in my little bubble. It was my first realisation that not everybody is like me or the people around me.
I love Miranda Hart. She wrote and starred in her own series, Miranda. She’s wild craic. Her series almost felt unscripted, even though I’m certain it’s scripted. There’s elements of improv in it. She also looks to camera, breaking the fourth wall, which I enjoy. Sometimes they break into a musical number, playing with that notion you can have tremendous craic on TV as well. It doesn’t all have to be super scripted or quick or clever. She’s a tall, awkward lady getting herself into situations we can relate to. There’s a sense of mischief about her.
I love Peter Kay. I have no interest in offbeat, dark, niche comedy. I love accessible, relevant, easily grasped comedy. I was watching the sketch the other day about him going on holidays and finding stuff in the shopping centre that we have at home like the Spanish version of Chocolate Fingers, standing outside the shopping centre, tasting them going, “They taste exactly the same.” It’s a simple thing that we’ve all done. It’s observational. He acts out different characters as well. He has such a spirit of fun in him.
With the passing of Jon Kenny recently, I revisited D’Unbelievables. They set the tone for future comedians, including the audience in what they did. The relationship between them – that comic duo really worked. I heard somebody describe them as “rural comedy” and it drove me wild because they weren’t – they were mass appeal, selling out a gazillion nights in Vicar St. They appealed across the board because they were relatable and they weren’t taking themselves seriously other than obviously taking comedy and performance seriously.
I was reared on Les Misérables. We watched the tenth anniversary concert – with Colm Wilkinson as Jean Valjean – pretty much every day after dinner. Recently, my son and my sister went to see the musical arena spectacular version of it in Belfast with a full orchestra. Michael Ball as Javert was amazing. It had Alfie Boe as Jean Valjean; my son Alfie is named after Alfie Boe. It was like being at a soccer match. Because it was a concert version, they’d step forward, they’d send their number, and then there’d be a big pause, and the crowd were roaring at them, “G’wan Alfie!” It was such a celebration. You’d look around and there were 5,000 people who had been reared on Les Mis. Epic.
Blood Brothers is a devastating piece of musical theatre. You know from the beginning it’s not going to end well, although the first half is really happy. The adults play two little boys, so you see them as little boys, you see them grow up and then you see what ultimately happens. Your heart breaks because you feel like you’ve met them when they were small. The first time I saw it was in the Cork Opera House. Because I knew what was going to happen, I cried for the whole thing. From the minute it started, I bawled. The whole row in the Opera House was shaking. My dad was like, “Please pull yourself together. This is the happy bit.”
Recently, I saw Trade/Mary Motorhead in the Cork Opera House. It’s the work of Mark Halloran. His niece, Mary O’Halloran, took two of his plays and turned them into an opera. It was conducted by Elaine Kelly, from outside Mallow, and directed by Tom Creed, son of Cork. I was in first year in the same school when Tom was in fifth year. Incredible acting, unbelievable singing, done in genuine Dublin accents, but still opera and with a full orchestra. It was gorgeous to see a full orchestra and to be up close and personal with the conductor. It was so enjoyable.
I consider myself John Spillane’s biggest fan, and I think he would consider me to be the same. I was in Knockadoon Irish College in East Cork for years, and he came down and did a concert for us when I was 16. Something about the music hit me. It’s folk, wordy but also local with big themes. Then I started going to all his concerts. Dad and I go to his Christmas concert in The Everyman every year. I’m drawn to dotey, talented Cork men and that’s what John is. His Christmas concert is so special. I love him.
Apart from my own podcast, my favourite is I’m Grand Mam. It’s top of the pile. I’ve listened to it since the start. It’s hosted by Kevin Twomey and PJ Kirby. They’re both from Cork. What I love is that they have never changed. Even though the podcast and they themselves have gotten massive, the craic they have and the topics they discuss are the same. They’re two boys who love their mums, which is how it started off in the first place. You’d wake up excited to listen to it on a Monday morning. It’s joy and mischief. It’s good for the soul, a gift.
