20 years of nude body suits and blonde bob wigs!

Last year would have been Leeside actress Fionula Linehan’s 20th panto, but it wasn’t to be thanks to good old Covid.

Over the years, Fionula has played a dog, a snake, an evil witch, an evil stepmother, an ugly stepsister, and many more characters across a whole range of productions.

Now she’s back delighting audiences again as the always hilarious Wishee Washee in this year’s Everyman panto ‘Aladdin’, but she has still managed to find a moment to reminisce on a career now easing gracefully into its third decade.

“I look back with the fondest of memories. I always say it doesn’t matter what talent you have unless someone gives you the chance and I was lucky enough to be offered that chance by Catherine Mahon Buckley under whose guidance over the years allowed me to explore and nurture my abilities, some I didn’t even know I had,” says Fionula.

Having shared the stage with such a long list of brilliant entertainers, including Cork’s favourite pantomime dame Jim Mulcahy, Fionula can now look back with immense pride and deep appreciation for those who influenced, taught and inspired her along the way.

“I have worked alongside my great friend, the legendary Dame Jim Mulcahy, and have learned so much from the skilled master of comedy and also had to hone my improvisation craft as he was liable to say or do any unscripted thing on stage.

“For the last number of years, I have performed alongside my very talented buddies Ciaran Bermingham and Michael Sands. Maybe we are a trio of divilment but it’s much needed for a long run when you can do over fifty shows.”

When you’ve got 20 years of pantos under your belt, trying to pick a favourite moment sounds like a difficult proposition, but not for Fionula who can narrow it down to one rather raunchy scene.

“My favourite moment in panto has to be the Sia ‘Chandelier’ moment in ‘Cinderella’ when Ciaran Bermingham and I as the ugly sisters gave our rendition of the famous dance decked out in the nude body suits and blonde bob wigs. That’s a moment I’d love to recreate!” says Fionula.

While a lot of us might have fond memories of being in the panto audience with our parents and watching the magic unfold from the darkness, it’s a very different, much brighter set of memories for Fionula’s two daughters.

“My daughters Kadie and Kerri also performed in lots of pantos with me and it was a real family affair for many years. They are grown up now and moved on but the panto is still a family with members onstage and so many behind the scenes, and of course the audience is another member of the family,” she adds.

As she looks forward to another 20 years on the stage, we, the lucky audience, can rest assured that as long as we have entertainers like Fionula to bring magic into our lives, there will always be a panto on Leeside.

Fionula says: “Together we dip in and bring out that childhood fun, laughter and joy needed now more than ever. I consider myself blessed and lucky to be celebrating such a long run in panto.

“So, let’s get this show ‘Aladdin’ on the road and may the roars of joy laughter and the boos and the ‘we live happily ever after’ echo out through the walls of the Everyman! Happy Christmas.”

‘Aladdin’ is running from now until Sunday 16 January at The Everyman at 7.30pm.

Tickets are from €25 with a family pass with four tickets available for €10. See everymantheatre.com for more information.