Anne Gildea

Anne is a Dublin-based comedienne. Her comedy beginnings began with
comedy trio, Doris Karloff, London, ‘89, segueing to stand-up. After training
under scholarship as an actress at ALRA in London she landed back in Dublin, where she became a co-founder and long-time creative/performer with comedy group, The Nualas, (1995-2002 & 2011–2019) Ireland’s top shiny-dressed, musical-comedy girl- trio.

Their unique brand of intricately-arranged, self-penned songs and provocative chat about current stuff proved a huge success. The Nualas toured worldwide, most notably playing The Royal Albert Hall, London; an extended seven-week run at The Irish Arts Centre,

New York; many fab months (over the years) at The Edinburgh Fringe Festival; a couple of months packing them in at the Drill Hall, London, plus The Olympia Theatre, Dublin, The Opera Houses in Belfast and Cork, a 64-date tour of the UK in 2001, as well as playing many other major venues across Ireland, Australia and Asia.

International radio and TV appearances included a double-headliner on BBC 1
TV's Stand-Up Show, with US comic Jon Stewart, BBC’s Edinburgh Nights,
The Melbourne Comedy Festival Gala, Seven Network, Australia, plus
Nationwide, on RTE plus also writing and recording several radio series for BBC Radio 4.

Solo, Anne was headline performer on 5 ancient Irish TV series: X-it File (2
series), X-it Pole, The Gerry Ryan To-Night Show and The Dog’s Dinner &
featured in comedy-doc The Green, Green Grass of Home, and No Laughing Matter, a documentary which followed her treatment for breast cancer in 2011. She has appeared in other telly such as Fr. Ted (Channel Four) and Bridget and Eamon (RTE).

As a stand-up, in addition to live work, Anne head-lined an episode of RTE’s The Liffey Laughs, and guested on The Late, Late Show.

Anne was a featured columnist for seven and a half years with The Irish Mail on Sunday, by-line ‘A wickedly funny take on modern Ireland’, and has also written for other publications including The Irish Times, Examiner, Independent & Irish Post, London.

She has published two books, a novel, Deadlines and Dickheads, (O’Brien Press 2006) and a memoir, I’ve got Cancer What’s Your Excuse (Hachette,
2013) inspired by her run-in with breast cancer. The latter inspired the feature
film, The Bright Side, which premiered in cinemas in 2021 and is currently available on Amazon Prime.

Her new show is the result of a desire to talk on stage about all things female
and middle aged. It has been received with huge enthusiasm and is currently
touring the country. Anne intends to present it to audiences everywhere, until the cows come home.

Whenever Anne gets too big for her britches she phones her Mayo-Mammy in Manchester, who cuts her down to size. Thanks Mammy.