Live, laugh, love with Eilish O'Carroll

Best known for her role as friend and neighbour '˜Winnie McGoogan' in the smash hit television show Mrs Brown's Boys, Eilish O'Carroll will be giving an insight into the woman behind the character with her new show Live, Laugh, Love, which is coming to the Waterfront Hall in Belfast on Saturday May 20.

Stepping out from the shadow of her younger brother Brendan O’Carroll, renowned as ‘Mrs Brown’, Eilish will be sharing the highs and lows of her life in the one woman show, which has been receiving rave reviews since she first took to the stage of the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2013.

Eilish comes into her own with this reflective look on an eventful life that includes a strict Catholic upbringing, two failed marriages and coming out as a lesbian at the age of 50. While poignant and deeply moving it is also packed with comedy. A 1950s baby, and the ninth of 10 children, she describes her childhood with affection.

Her discovery that she was gay is also tenderly handled with good humour. The end result is a warm, witty triumph that joyously celebrates being true to yourself.

“I hadn’t originally planned to do anything like this,” explained Eilish. “I wrote a bit years ago about an experience in my life as a teenager and my friends told me to keep writing.

“I talk about growing up in the 50s in good Catholic Ireland and the impact that had on me as an adult. But it is told in a very, very funny way.

“It is every woman’s story. We all think we are making a journey on our own but the emotions are all the same.

“There’s a lot of inspirational stuff in there. I talk about getting older and what that means, and about not giving up on your dreams.”

Eilish always dreamt of being an actress but it was only in later life that her dream came true when she worked with her brother Brendan on Mrs Brown’s Boys. Since then she has appeared in a number of films and tells everyone that you have to believe that your dream will come true one day.

“I just had to believe it,” she continued. “And it did happen. Thought is such a powerful energy and I think if you hold onto it something has to stick.”

Whilst admitting she is terrified every time she takes to the stage, Eilish is looking forward to being back on the road again. “I have never known such fear but I love doing what I do,” she added.

Tickets, priced £20, are on sale now from the Waterfront Hall Box Office on 028 9033 4455.

For further information or to book tickets online, log onto www.waterfront.co.uk.

Related topics: