An Irish comedian currently based over in Canada, Amy Walsh is bringing her first solo show to Ireland this September. Fresh off the festival circuit—she performed at All Together Now this August—she also runs her own monthly dog-friendly comedy show to sold-out audiences across Canada and has a successful podcast called Soft For Us.
The last thing I saw and loved… Sleep No More by Punchdrunk, an immersive play in New York. It was absolutely insane and incredible.
The book I keep coming back to… Journey to the Heart, a daily meditation book that I have read nearly every day for the last two years. It keeps me kind of sane with positive daily quotes.
I find inspiration in… my friends and family. They’re mad yokes who do and say wild things that inspire a lot of my comedy.
My favourite film is… Big Fish. It’s been my favourite since I was around nine and it still holds up.
My career highlight is… performing on the same lineup as Tommy Tiernan at All Together Now this year. He’s the first intro to stand-up I had via videos and on the telly and he was the first live stand-up show I saw when I was 17. I cried after I met him lol.
The song I listen to to get in the zone is… at the moment, it’s Chappell Roan’s “HOT TO GO!” or “Femininomenon”. Two massive bops.
The last artist I recommended is… Katie Boyle. She’s an Irish comedian based in New York and she’s an incredible stand-up comic and person. Super funny and sound, check her out!
I never leave the house without… my anxiety. Even when I want to leave it at home, I have it with me.
The performance I still think about is… Eva O’ Connor’s “Chicken”. I saw it at the Edinburgh Fringe last year in the basement of an old hospital and I will never forget it. The performance, the script and the costumes were all phenomenal. It was unbelievable and so strange in a great way. It’s been ingrained into my brain forever.
My dream role would be… a role in a comedy sitcom with my pals. The ultimate dream.
The best advice I’ve ever gotten… to aways chance your arm. I can’t even remember who told me that but it’s something I live by and it has stood by me for years. The amount of opportunities I’ve gotten by chancing my arm is wild.
The film that means the most to me is… Shark Tale. It’s a movie that I loved when I was younger because there’s a bit with a talking shrimp that I have been doing an impression of since I first watched it. It’s one of the first things I used to make people laugh (around 20 years ago) and I’ve literally been doing it ever since.
The most challenging thing about being on stage is… making people laugh when I’m going through a rough time. It feels weird to be all bee-boppy when I just want to cry in my bed!
After a show, I… get public transport home and dream of when I don’t have to take public transport anymore.
If I wasn’t a comedian, I would be… a dog trainer. I generally prefer dogs to people and even run a dog-friendly comedy show across Canada, so it’d be an easy transition if the comedy doesn’t work out.
The magic of comedy to me is… turning negative experiences/feelings/thoughts into hilarious stories and jokes. It feels like a superpower to turn something negative into something positive and to be able to share it with others. Absolute pure magic.
You can catch Wingin’ It, Amy Walsh’s first solo show in Dublin’s Sin É on September 4 or in The King’s Head in Galway on September 5.
Photography by Skye Portman.
Also Read
