The Irish standup on advice to her younger self, dodgy microphones and why success still makes her feel sickHow did you get into comedy?
I was on maternity leave and, looking back, I may have been having a manic episode. I’d had a long string of admin jobs that I hated. Usually, it was the case that I didn’t know what my job was and nobody else did either. When I was 29, I thought: “I haven’t really done anything creative or put myself out there. Here I am with two kids, what am I doing?” So I signed up for an open mic night. I wasn’t going into comedy for the money – I wanted to see if I could do it.What inspired your latest show, Emmaculate?
People have asked: “Is it about Madonna’s Immaculate Collection album?” No, it’s not. Although, I do nod to it because when I was in an all-girls school we had a talent show one year and the girl in the year ahead of us sang Like a Virgin. She was six months pregnant and we were all very judgy. I shouldn’t have been because that was me the following year. Continue reading...
Monday 13 October 2025
.theguardian - 2 days ago
Emma Doran: ‘When I was growing up, a woman’s biggest compliment would be that she was immaculate’
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