Derry’s Diona Doherty makes her Edinburgh Fringe stand-up debut with ‘Get Your Pink Back!’ As a comedian, actress and writer Diona is already making waves in the entertainment world. She is soon to appear in the hit BBC police drama ‘Blue Lights’; was previously in an episode of Derry Girls and has written and produced a number of plays at The Belfast Opera House.
Last year Diona saw a video online explaining how when flamingos have babies both parents lose their colour pink and drain to a pale white. As their babies get bigger and more independent, those flamingos get their pink back. After comparing herself to the flamingo, when all she did was work and parent, she had a lightbulb moment. Diona has lost her pink (we called it 'mojo' before the internet). She's pretty certain her kids are hiding it. Along with her abs. In her debut hour she’s on a mission to get it back reclaim her identity and prove that she can still have fun. As long as that fun ends by 9pm.
In her quest Diona joined a choir, took Zumba and self-defense classes, started playing Kerby again and even went to a silent retreat, where she reflected her experiences on post-natal depression and her journey with infertility and IVF. Did she get her pink back? Join Diona and find out…
Diona Doherty led an episode of Derry Girls for Ch4/Netflix as KATYA, played one of the leads in three series of BBC improvised comedy Soft Border Patrol and is Grainne in BBC’s Give My Head Peace. Diona also played the lead in BBC Sounds series What Happens In Ulster, was a lead cast member in nine seasons of A Perforated Ulster, as well as appearing in Penance for C5, and new comedy pilot Dry Your Eyes for BBC.
Diona has written a short BBC film Sh*t Stepmum, a thirty-minute radio episode of What Happens In Ulster and audio play Dani Dives In for The Mac Theatre Belfast. Last year her one-woman dark comedy play ‘Sunny Side Up’ (written by and starring her) ran at the Lyric Belfast to rave reviews.
In 2005 she appeared on Britain and Ireland’s Next Top Model and was judged by Elle MacPhearson who said that Diona was “not her cup of tea!”.
Diona Doherty’s ‘Get Your Pink Back!’ will be at the Monkey Barrel 2 for the entire fringe. For tickets go to www.edfringe.com
What is the last thing you do before you go onstage (apart from check your flies and/or check your knickers aren't sticking out of your skirt and check for spinach between your teeth)
I RUSH to the toilet. I always feel like SOMETHING is about to come out, I can't figure out which end. I always then repeat in my head the first 2 or 3 things I will say. I always think that if you nail exactly what you're going to say at the every start, then the rest will fall in place.
What irritates you?
My husband leaving a damp tea towel blanketed over everything on the drainer beside the sink. Weird 'talky' bits in the middle of songs that you have to stop dancing to and sort of mime and act out before you can go back to dancing to the singing bit. This is sort of exclusively If you're in a nightclub setting. I don't know if nightclubs still happen though do they? I'm 36.
What is the most dangerous thing you have ever done?
Gave birth. That is death warmed up right there. I actually did it in my living room too. That bit was planned though. And actually homebirthing is very safe, sure didn't everybody and their granny give birth next to a tree before milking the cows back in the day? Other than that, probably that thing with a pen when you spread your fingers out on a table and jab the pen inbetween your fingers on the table. That's some sort of Evil Knievel level of stunt.
What is the most stupid thing you have ever done?
Came home from holidays without my keys to my student house and it was a set of keys that unlocked the main door and my room and was some sort of magician's lock and so I had to pay for all the rooms and front door to be changed and it meant I had no student loan left. I've also reversed my own car into my own gate, reversed same car into a skip and another car into a van. I shouldn't reverse. I should always be looking forward.
What has surprised you the most during your career in comedy?
How many times I get messages from people wondering will a man enjoy my show, based purely on the fact that I'm a female.
What do your parents/children (delete as applicable) think of your job?
My daughter loves that I work on a stage. She's 4 and she is definitely a wee performer. My parents also love it because they get to actually go watch their child's job, which is fun. Until it gets to bits where im talking about them, then they die inside. Ha! No, they love it.
What’s the worst thing about being a comedian?
Maybe material not going well. Christ, it's such a vulnerable place to be on a stage going 'here's a thing I found funny' and nobody laughs and then you have to walk past those people to leave the room and cry on the way home. And maybe that's the first and last time those specific people will see you live and they don't know you were just testing something and they think that's your best stuff and POOF, just like that, you've lost a future audience member.
I think you are very good at what you do (that’s why I’m asking these questions). What do you think of you?
I'm very proud of me. I started stand up right before the pandemic hit. During the pandemic and shortly after, I had two kids, through IVF, and almost all of my stand up career has been pregnant/post partum or breastfeeding and in that time I've joined THE BLAME GAME on BBC N.I as the only permanent female panelist and ticked off some really cool bucket list festivals and gigs. I think it's a case of 'if you want something done, as someone who's busy' and juggling having the kids and being a comedian at the same time actually just makes me get things done in a really efficient way. I'm very proud of the work i put into my job and I hope that's reflected in the show.
How much do you earn and how much would you like to earn?
My earnings fluctuate but I'm financially comfortable. We always want more I suppose but I'm very grateful that I get to earn a living out of what I love doing. I'm very lucky AND grateful.
How important is luck in terms of career success – have you had lucky breaks?
It's all about timing. If you are born in the right era to be in a certain TV show, or if you had a nice interaction with someone one time who remembered that and got you in for some great opportunity down the line. I have always made my own opportunities from hassling casting directors to plaguing agents. I never sat idly by. Yes there's a massive luck element to any success but a lot of it's hard work. Now in saying that, we don't all have the same 24 hours in a day. Our economic class, our upbringings, our postcode all play a massive part in all of our futures,
Alan Davies has said that comedians fall into two categories - golfers and self-harmers. The former just get on with life, the latter are tortured artists. Which are you – or do you think you fit into third category?
Oh I think that fluctuates. I used to torture myself watching other people who were more successful than I was live out their dream, by following them on social media it wasn't good for my mental health. However now at the ripe old age of 36, I find that I am much more easy going when it comes to not achieving goals, or jobs not going my way that I really want. I just shrug it off. I actually don't think it's 'getting on with life' I think it might be having been desensitized to rejection and building a thick skin.
Who is your favourite person ever and why – not including family or friends or other comedians?
It changes all the time but I watched a video today of Robin WIlliams hugging Koko the gorilla and they both laughed and hugged as if they were with both Gorillas or both humans but either way the connection was so innocent and so pure and I hope that somewhere, Robin Willaims knows how we all see him. A comic genius. He's my favourite person today. Yesterday it was my bin man because he wheeled our bin up our driveway without being asked. True gent.
Do you keep your drawers tidy and if not why not? (please think long and hard about this question, it's to settle an argument with my girlfriend. The future of our relationship could depend on your response).
Yes. Well not the pyjama or underwear drawer so they can go do one, but yes I have a drawer specifically for gym clothes, one for tshirts and one from jeans and I do keep them in order. Now if you're not doing that, you need a word with yourself. You're wasting time in the morning when it comes to getting dressed. What sort of time are you working with here that you're not able to select your clothes with your eyes shut?
Diona Doherty’s ‘Get Your Pink Back!’ will be at the Monkey Barrel 2 for the entire fringe. For tickets go to www.edfringe.com
PICTURE CREDIT - KHARA PRINGLE
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