Saturday with comedian Emma Doran: 'I always knew I was funny — but a room full of strangers is totally different'

10:00

I go to a group class in AlloverFitness in Rathfarnham. I know I’ll regret it if I don’t go. I was really sporty in school but didn’t do much for years. 

When my daughter was in fourth year I went to a spin class with her and nearly died — I left like I had shin splints in my arse.

That was a wake-up call for me and I’ve been pretty consistent since.

11:15

We’ll have a big brunch and then my younger son will go to athletics. 

It’s a great time with all the Irish success — with Rhasidat Adeleke being from just up the road too, it all feels very local.

13:30

If I’m travelling outside Dublin I’ll start getting organised and will charge my camera. 

When I started doing stand up the advice was not to give away your material but that’s all changed now — people like to see you on stage and it’s a good way to promote upcoming shows.

My first gig was at the Battle of the Acts in The Ha’penny Bridge Inn and I was hooked straight away. 

I thought it was going to be like Eminem’s 8 Mile but the audience was quite kind to the acts because they knew a lot of them were just starting out.

You’d think it would be easier to fall flat when you’re well known but actually in some ways it’s easier now. 

In the early days I’d hear audible groans when I’d walk on stage but now people have either bought a ticket for my show, or, at a festival, they’re opting in to see me.

I first twigged that laughter was a handy skill to have and that it could connect people — even without words — as a child. 

As a young child I had delayed speech and hardly spoke but my teacher loved my laugh. I was very quiet in school as a very little kid and had to go to speech therapy. 

Even to this day I hate reading scripts out loud.

16:00

I might pick up my support act — it’s nice to have the chats and the drive goes a lot faster. 

I always try to get home after a gig as I’m usually kind of wired anyway. 

I prefer to wake up in my own bed and the kids have swimming lessons on a Sunday.

I always knew I was funny but being funny to a room full of strangers is totally different. 

When I started I was very deadpan and didn’t move on stage.

I’m a more confident performer and have more fun now — I’m much looser in the moment. 

I’ve performed in every type of place and to every type of audience and there’s always something — from a dodgy microphone to a dip in the stage to people in the corner watching the darts. 

I like the unexpected. In regular jobs I’d get bored and tetchy after about six months thinking: ‘Is this it?’

18:30

If I’m gigging in Dublin I’ll be at the venue at about 6.30pm. 

Some venues down the country might have a little cafe or something so I’ll get dinner there. 

There’s a lot of hanging around — the sound check for a comedian is just ‘One, Two’.

I’m quite a distracted person and usually don’t feel hungry but I know that if I don’t eat I’ll be ravenous after a gig. 

I might have a sneaky takeaway before I go — prawns and rice or noodles — though I have been known to get a battered sausage or a four-in-one from my local chipper.

20:00

I’ll go on stage at 8pm for 15 minutes. Then I’ll bring on the support. There will be a break and then I’ll go on for about an hour.

The comedy scene has opened up a lot in the past 11 years. There are more people doing it now and more women involved. 

There are still gender issues there ... but it has improved. I wanted to be an MC years ago and I was blatantly told ‘people don’t like female MCs’ — it’s like the way people say audiences don’t like female voices on radio — it’s just something that someone made up.

My material was different at the beginning too. I wasn’t doing material on being a mam at a midweek gig in town because the audience just wasn’t interested. 

With the variety of voices and different experiences in comedy now, I don’t feel as much of an alien as I did when I was starting out.

22:30

I’ll wait with the audience after a gig to say hello or take photos. I’ve never associated drinking with gigging — I’m heading home, driving, and in work mode. 

If I’m not working I’m happy to sit in on a Saturday night and treat myself to a takeaway on an actual plate with a couple of drinks.

• Comedian Emma Doran lives in Rathfarnham Dublin with her family.
• Her DILEMMA tour includes a gig in Vicar Street on November 15.
• emmadorancomedy.com