Dillie Keane is perhaps best known as one third of the comedy cabaret trio Fascinating Aida, ever since its inception in 1983, but she has had an equally prominent solo career. The word comedy has a classical meaning (comical theatre) and a popular one (the use of humor with an intent to provoke laughter in general). ... Cabaret is a form of entertainment featuring comedy, song, dance, and theatre, distinguished mainly by the performance venue — a restaurant or nightclub with a stage for performances and the audience sitting around the tables (often dining or drinking) watching the performance. ... Fascinating Aïda are a cult British satirical musical comedy cabaret trio founded in 1983 by Dillie Keane. ...

Education

As a teenager she studied in Woldingham School, but was expelled. She studied music at Trinity College, Dublin, but left the four-year degree after three years. She went on to study acting for three years at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art. She was recently made an Honorary Doctor of Letters at the University of Portsmouth in recognition of her career and her continuing links with the city. Woldingham School is an independent catholic boarding and day school for girls in the English county of Surrey. ... Trinity College, Dublin TCD, corporately designated as the Provost, Fellows and Scholars of the College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity of Queen Elizabeth near Dublin, was founded in 1592 by Elizabeth I, and is the only constituent college of the University of Dublin, Irelands oldest university. ... Main LAMDA building on Talgarth Road The MacOwan Theatre The London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA), founded 1861, is a leading British drama school in west London. ... The University of Portsmouth is the only university in the city of Portsmouth, Hampshire. ...

Theatre

Keane was nominated for a Perrier Award at the Edinburgh Festival in 1990 for her one woman theatre show Single Again (Sean Hughes would go on to win the award), returning the following year with Citizen Keane. Between 1999 and 2001 she toured a one woman show, Back With You taking in the UK and Germany and winning the Best Comedy Award at the Moers Comedy Festival in 2001. The Perrier Comedy Award is a prestigious award for comedy, awarded to the best comedy show at the Edinburgh Fringe festival. ... There is no one Edinburgh Festival but those using the term are usually referring to the collection of various festivals in August and early September of each year in Edinburgh, Scotland. ... Sean Hughes (born John Hughes, London, November 19, 1965) is an Irish comedian who, whilst being born in London, spent much of his youth in Firhouse, Dublin. ...

In 2002, Keane wrote the songs for the Sandi Toksvig's musical comedy Big Night Out At The Little Palace Theatre (starring in the show itself at the Palace Theatre), Watford with Toksvig and Bonnie Langford. Other works include the plays A Slice of Life (1981) and Boat People (1983). She has written songs for two pantos with Adele Anderson. Sandi Toksvig, official photograph Sandi Toksvig (IPA: ) (born 3 May 1958 in Copenhagen) is a Danish comedian, author, and radio presenter based in the United Kingdom. ... Musical theater (or theatre) is a form of theater combining music, songs, dance, and spoken dialogue. ... Watford is a town and district in Hertfordshire, United Kingdom, situated 34 km (21 miles) northwest of London and within the bounds of the M25 motorway. ... Bonita Melody Lysette Bonnie Langford (July 22, 1964) is an English actress and entertainer. ...

Meanwhile Keane continued her acting career, her CV listing touring versions of Dancing at Lughnasa and Charley's Aunt, Juno and the Paycock at the Leicester Haymarket; The Plough and the Stars at the West Yorkshire Playhouse in Leeds; Accommodating Eva at the King's Head Theatre in Islington and Present Laughter at Birmingham Repertory Theatre. She was also included in the premiere production of The Vagina Monologues in Dublin in 2002. She appeared with "Kit & the Widow" in Tomfoolery during 2005 and in the premiere one night only staging of a new musical version of "Little Women" at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane. ... Dancing at Lughnasa (see references to Lughnasa, or Lughnasadh, the ancient pagan ritual) is a play by Brian Friel set in Irelands County Donegal in August 1936. ... W. S. Penley as the first Charleys Aunt, Donna Lucia d’Alvadorez in 1892 Charleys Aunt is a farce in three acts written by Brandon Thomas that broke all historic records for plays of any kind, with an original London run of 1,466 performances. ... Juno and the Paycock is a play by Sean OCasey, the second of his well-known Dublin Trilogy. It was first staged at the Abbey Theatre in Dublin in 1924. ... The Plough and the Stars is a play by the Irish writer Seán OCasey. ... Since opening in March 1990, West Yorkshire Playhouse in Leeds has established a reputation both nationally and internationally as one of Britains most exciting producing theatres, winning awards for everything from its productions to its customer service. ... Leeds is a major city in West Yorkshire, England. ... The Kings Head Theatre was the first dinner theatre in the UK, it was founded in 1970 by the pub. ... Islington is an inner-city district in north London. ... Present Laughter is a comedic play written by Noel Coward and first staged in 1939 as part of a double bill with his lower middle-class domestic drama This Happy Breed; in 1941 the double bill was expanded to include Cowards new play Blithe Spirit. ... Birmingham Rep (formerly Birmingham Repertory Theatre) is a theatre in Birmingham, England. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... The Spire at night WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: , Statistics Province: Leinster County: Dáil Éireann: Dublin Central, Dublin North Central, Dublin North East, Dublin North West, Dublin South Central, Dublin South East European Parliament: Dublin Dialling Code: 01, +353 1 Postal District(s): D1-24, D6W Area: 114. ... Little Women (1868) is a novel by Louisa May Alcott published on September 30, 1868, concerning the lives and loves of four sisters growing up during the American Civil War. ...

Keane has recently been (2006) appearing alongside "Jenny Eclair" and "Linda Robson", in "Grumpy Old Women Live" and she appeared as The Duchess in "Me and My Girl" (2006) on a new national tour. She is about to perform the role of Dolly in "Frank and Dolly" a new play by Lizzie Hopley at the Edinburgh Festival 2007 before getting back on tour with "Grumpy Old Women Live" Jenny Eclair (born Jenny Clare Hargreaves on 16 March 1960 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia) is a comedian, actress and novelist, working in the United Kingdom. ... Linda Robson (born 13 March 1958) is a British actress. ... Me and My Girl is a popular British stage musical, with book and lyrics by Douglas Furber and L. Arthur Rose and music by Noel Gay. ... Lizzie Hopley is a British actor and writer. ...

Television

As well as a television version of Fascinating Aida, Dillie has appeared with Richard Griffiths and Samantha Janus in Pie in the Sky, and with Phil Cool on a number of his series as well as The Truth About Women. Fascinating Aïda are a cult British satirical musical comedy cabaret trio founded in 1983 by Dillie Keane. ... Richard Griffiths (born 31 July 1947) is a Tony award winning English actor who has appeared on stage, film and television. ... Samantha Janus (born 2 November 1972 in Brighton) is a British actress. ... Pie in the sky could refer to : A fanciful notion or ludicrous concept. ... Phil Cool is a British comedian from Chorley noted for his impressions. ...

Radio

Keane has written and presented on radio for shows such as Stop the Week 4th Column, Booked! and Call Me When You're in Something (which won the Prix Monte Carlo).

Writing

As well as the aforementioned song and script writing credits, Dillie has been a columnist for The Stage and the Mail on Sunday (1993-5), and published two books connected with 'Aida' The Joy of Sequins - The Fascinating Aïda Songbook (1995) and Fascinating Who? (1985). The Stage is a weekly British newspaper founded in 1880, available nationally and published on Thursdays. ... The Daily Mail and its Sunday edition the Mail on Sunday are British newspapers, first published in 1896. ...

Her current agent is Gavin Barker Associates Ltd. A casting agent is a person who finds jobs for actors, models, and other people in various entertainment businesses. ...