Limerick comedian wins top prize at Edinburgh Comedy Awards
Now holding one of the award's most esteemed titles, the Adare woman was named Best Newcomer with her show, Dog Ear, at the 46th annual ceremony.
Limerick comedian Marty Gleeson has taken home a top prize at this years' Edinburgh Comedy Awards.
Now holding one of the award's most esteemed titles, the Adare woman was named Best Newcomer with her show, Dog Ear, at the 46th annual ceremony.
Once completing her secondary-level education at Crescent College Comprehensive, Marty went on to study Fine Arts at Limerick School of Art and Design (LSAD).
The comedian says her time spent at the college "features very heavily" in her award-winning show.
"It focuses a lot on my time at LSAD, and influence it has on my on creative thinking. I also met so many people there, all different creatives, that I've stayed friends with for years. They all ended up coming to the Edinburgh Fringe. Half the audience one night was made up of them, so it was really special to have them there and share stories of Limerick with them," Marty explained.
Having been based in London for the last 10 years, Marty said the move came as a result of winning a One4all card design competition.
"I moved over to pursue arts and illustration. One4all awarded me a MacBook, and I sold it and used that money to move to London – got a one-way ticket and off I went," the comedian shared.
Awarded best newcomer in both the main awards and the comedians choice, Marty said it was a "big honour" to have won.
"It was so amazing to get that- I just wasn’t expecting it. It went beyond what I was expecting. I just went to the fringe and thought, I'm going to perform a show that I love, commit to it as much as I can, and as long as I don’t get sick of it then it's good," she said.
The awards were presented by previous winners, Baby Reindeer and Half Man star Richard Gadd, who won best comedy in 2016 and SNL UK star Ayoade Bamgboye, who claimed the best newcomer award last year.
Marty said she has ambitions to go on a series of tours across the globe, with an Irish tour at the forefront of her mind- especially a renowned Limerick venue.
"I'd love to come back and do Dolan's. I opened for my friend Roger O'Sullivan, a Cork comedian, earlier in the year and it was lovely to perform there and see people from different parts of my life."
Edinburgh Comedy Awards director, Nica Burns, and executive director Emma Brunjes said: “There is so much talent at the Edinburgh Fringe and comedy is again the largest category this year. With so much talent to choose from, the judges’ debate was knowledgeable, exciting and passionate. Congratulations to Marty and all the comedians shortlisted – you are all terrific.”