Funny Talk: Sharon Mannion

The Mannion lass

aving already wooed the bejiggers out of Greystones on many an occasion, as part of improv groups and solo, Sharon Mannion returns to The Whale with her latest one-woman show this April. 

More than just a pretty and pretty bewildered face, the woman not only knows how to be funny, without a script, but she’s pretty darn great with one too.

As anyone who has witnessed Sharon’s turn as the immaculate Concepta in TV’s Bridget & Eamon.

Having come to town in 2018 with her own show, The Curse Of The Button Accordion, and joined forces once again with Joe Rooney (Father Ted, Killinaskully) and Danny Kehoe (Red Rock, Moone Boy) for The Comedy Improv Horror Show on that October, Mannion has been touring extensively both here and abroad in the intervening years.

Having risen rapidly up through the ranks – thanks to the likes of Moone Boy, Roy and Irish Pictorial Weekly – it’s onstage that Sharon has the most fun. Which is why she teamed up with buddy Joe and even bigger buddy Danny for their shared nights of unscripted mayhem and unbridled silliness.

As the lady prepares to bring the damned funny to Greystones once again after last year’s sell-out Sharondippity with her Jukebox Donkey tour on April 24th 2026, we asked Sharon for her comedy inspirations and, firstly, how the hell she got suckered into this ridiculous line of work…

I went to acting college with every intention of being a serious actor, to the point that I used to get really upset when I got cast in the comic and quirky roles. When I left, I got the odd gig here and there but things didn’t really take off until I started doing improv. I loved everything about it, and for the first time in my life, I enjoyed being funny. I started doing stand up and writing sketches as well, and that kind of led on to everything else.

These days the bulk of my work is comedy. I perform weekly with the Dublin Comedy Improv, have appeared in shows like Republic of Telly, Roy, Irish Pictorial Weekly, Bridget & Eamon and Blasts From The Past. I still do the odd serious role, which is lovely – I have a small part in the Irish prison drama Michael Inside, which won an IFTA, and the 2022 immigration drama, Aisha, which won the Audience Award at the Cork International Film Festival.

I’m also, of course, currently touring my latest one-woman show, Sharondippity, which is a comedy all about my life and all the happy mistakes I make every day – can’t wait to bring that to Greystones…

My inspirations

Ryan Stiles
It’s probably no surprise, but growing up I was a HUUUUUUGGGEEEE fan of the imrov show Whose Line is it Anyway? on Channel 4. This was long before I even really knew what improv was, or that I could do it myself on a real live stage. Ryan Stiles was a personal favourite, years later, I retrospectively gained a newfound respect for Colin Mochrie and his set up skills.

Tommy Tiernan
Tommy Tiernan was definitely my biggest stand-up inspiration. I just loved his truth on stage. I’m still a big fan and I love his chat show. I’m shocked that people are shocked that he’s such a good interviewer; to me, his genuine interest in people has been evident from the early days.

Frasier
I could watch Frasier all day, and I often do. The characters, the storylines, the language. It’s the perfect sitcom as far as I’m concerned. My husband and I even included a quote from Frasier Crane in our wedding day booklet – ‘Love is an awesome force, it can make us do things we never imagined. For you see, we don’t actually choose love, it chooses us. And once it has, we are powerless to do anything about it.’ Perfect.

Amy Poehler
Where do I start with this woman? She’s basically my God. Parks and Recreation is another favourite sitcom, and she plays Leslie Knope to perfection. I’ve recently re-read her book, Yes, Please, and it was even better second time around. Somebody once told me I was like the Irish Amy Poehler, and I nearly cried with happiness.

Will Ferrell
He just absolutely tickles my funny bone. I regularly find myself down a YouTube rabbit hole of clips of his. Outtakes, on chat shows, old SNL footage – it doesn’t matter, I’ll watch anything that he’s in.

Father Ted
No list like this would be complete without mentioning Father Ted. It’s basically the best sitcom ever made. The end.

Derry Girls
I’m firmly on the Derry Girls bandwagon. I loved it. I especially loved that it was a bit rough around the edges in parts – that only added to its charm in my opinion. I can’t wait for the second series.

The Nualas
I loved the Nualas growing up; I used to watch them on latenight stand-up shows on BBC2. Again, this was long before I really knew what live comedy was. Years later, I got to work them when Sue was unavailable for a tour of theirs. It was a lovely moment for me. It always feels great to work with strong females who have effectively paved the way for the rest of us.

This interview was first published in July 2018. You can find out more about Sharon Mannion’s Jukebox Donkey at The Whale on Friday, April 24th here, and about the lady herself here.