Interview: tmBlog chats to comedian Andrea Farrell

We chat Dublin comedian, Andrea Farrell, ahead of her performance at the Vodafone Comedy Festival 2015 at The Iveagh Gardens, in the heart of Dublin next month.

What made you get into comedy?

I wanted to be a comedian since I was about 15 or so. I always made my friends laugh but it wasn’t until I was in secondary school and making the teachers laugh too that I realised I was pretty good at it. I remember seeing some old clips of Dave Allen performing on BBC late one night and I was absolutely enthralled. His unique styling and irreverence of story telling would have audiences in the palm of his hand and I wanted his skill.

You toured around Ireland last year as part of the Lads of Comedy — that must have been a fantastic experience?

Touring with the lads was fantastic, apart from the farts and the smells. It was such a great summer spent with great friends making people laugh. We toured around in a camper van and played sold out gigs all around Ireland and at all the major festivals. I’d say the camper van had to be aired out for a month after we returned it.

Who are your comedy influences?

Dave Allen, Maeve Higgins and Mitch Hedberg.

Who are you looking forward to seeing at the Vodafone Comedy Festival?

I always try to see as many acts as I can. This year I’m excited to see Maeve Higgins again. She’s living over in New York now so it’s always a treat when she’s home to share her tales. She’s such a unique performer and no two performances are ever the same.

What is it like being a female on the comedy circuit (and I appreciate being asked this question is part of what it is like) Do you ever encounter any casual or overt male chauvinism?

What’s it like being a ‘female on the comedy circuit?’ It’s almost the same as being a male but I get to wee wee sitting down on the toilet without society frowning at me.
I’ve not had too much experience of sexism personally but that’s not to say that it isn’t prevalent. Someone once came up to me at the end of a gig and commented ‘I don’t normally like female comedians but I thought you were brilliant.’ I had to just laugh. I was a bit pissed off that this person underestimated me but it felt good to prove someone’s ignorance wrong.

Tell us a joke…..

Give me some free tickets to concerts.

Get tickets to see Andrea Farrell at the Vodafone Comedy Festival 2015 on Friday, 24 July here.