Mary O Connell’s second Edinburgh Fringe show Dilly Dally is all about family. Her family loved her – but maybe they loved her too much. This is a show about what she found up about adulthood when she moved in with her boyfriend.
She talks to Entertainment Now about performers she admires and about the challenges of performing comedy at the Fringe.
Tell us about your show. Why should we go and see it?
My show is called Dilly Dally and it’s about me not feeling like a proper adult. Everyone around me seems to be doing the grown up milestones like getting married, having kids and drinking cold brew (what is that about?) while I’m twiddling my thumbs drinking iced oat milk white chocolate matcha latte.
What is your favourite thing about your show?
My favourite thing about the show is a section where I talk about having an epiphany in a terrible pilates class. I’m still working on the final touches but I want to do a whole pilates routine during this part of the show. I’m going to have such a strong core by the end of the run.
Do you have a Fringe idol?
I really like people who do the fringe in an unconventional way. I particularly love watching clown shows. Lucy Hopkins’ show ‘Ceremony of Golden Truth’ felt like a spiritual experience. Her whole body was painted gold and the show was beautiful and hilarious. I saw it in the yurt by the underpass at some ungodly hour and I almost cried from pure joy.
What three words best describe your performance style – and why
Silly, melodramatic, profound
I think I look at meaningful things and explain them in an unserious way. I compare having a not very good boyfriend to making oven pizza. I’m real shallow when I’m deep.
Who are you looking forward to seeing in Edinburgh?
I’m really looking forward to seeing Toussaint Douglass’ show this year. I think he’s a brilliant writer and I can’t wait to see what his hour is like. I’m also looking forward to seeing Sharon Wanjohi’s hour. She’s so much fun to watch perform.
What do you hope to achieve in Edinburgh – what are your hopes and dreams?
I want to keep learning and growing and getting better. This is my second hour, so even though I’ve done one before, I don’t feel like I have a process for writing hours yet. It’s that classic second album struggle. I hope people who saw my first hour come back to see my second and then keep coming back to watch me evolve and also hear about the crazy shit that’s been happening in my life
What are the biggest obstacles you face as a performer at the Fringe?
Generally I would say it’s super expensive to go to the fringe so that’s something I have to budget for every year I come up. But also with me personally I really struggle with self doubt. You’re supposed to sell yourself and be really confident in your show and while I eventually feel really proud of my show, selling myself doesn’t come naturally to me.
Mary O’Connell, Dilly Dally, 19.15, Pleasance Courtyard, until August 24
https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/mary-o-connell-dilly-dally
