Comedy Showhouse celebrates Irish women comedy writers

Comedy Showhouse returns with (L-R) Rose Henderson, Sharon Mannion, Paul Tylak, Norma Sheehan, Danny Kehoe and Patricia Kelly

RTÉ Radio One will broadcast six new half-hour radio comedy scripts from Irish female writers on RTE Radio 1 Extra over the next 6 weeks, as part of RTÉ Radio One’s award-winning Comedy Showhouse strand. 

Featured writers include Patricia Kelly, Catherine Maher, Sharon Mannion, Ann Mulkeen-Murray, Sarah-Jane Scott, and Maria Kennedy.

Listen to I Don’t Usually Do This by Patricia Kelly

While a couple of the writers – Catherine Maher (The South Westerlies, Bull Island) and Sharon Mannion (Republic of Telly, Callan’s Kicks) – have previous broadcast credits, all six are making their radio half-hour debuts.

Supported by The Broadcast Authority of Ireland (BAI), this new opportunity for Irish female comedy writers was first announced in September 2019, with the successful six scripts staged and recorded in front of a live audience last November at Dublin’s Project Arts Centre.

The final scripts were developed closely with the writers at readings and rehearsals, and the final versions were performed by an ensemble of experienced Irish comedy actors, including Rose Henderson, Danny Kehoe, Norma Sheehan, and Paul Tylak.

Produced by Sideline Productions, the series was sparked by the success of Fiona Looney’s all-female sketch series Waiting, starring Deirdre O’Kane, broadcast to high acclaim on RTÉ Radio One in 2018.

Comedy Showhouse, RTÉ Radio 1 Extra, Thursdays from September 3rd