Oh Carol!
Although Ireland's comedy community is heavily dominated by male figures, women like Carol Tobin have overturned the notion that women are intrinsically unfunny.
Jackie Hayden, 25 Jun 2008
Comedian Carol Tobin is a changed woman. Whereas she once described herself as “a tortured soulless female on the quest to find the perfect drink” she can now better be described as “a tortured soulless female no longer on the quest to find the perfect drink.” So what happened – did she actually find the perfect drink?
“No”, she tells me. “I just gave up. I decided there was no such thing as the perfect drink at all.”
But did she ever feel she was getting close to fulfilling her dream?
“I did once. I thought Kopparberg Pear Cider was the perfect drink, but after a while I felt it was just like drinking lemonade, so I decided to abandon my quest altogether.”
She’s been described as a “foul-mouthed, alcoholic, sex fiend with no taste in men.” This no longer seems to fit either, if it ever did.
“I’m not foul-mouthed any more,” she admits. “I used to be. I’ve grown up. Getting older brought on the change! I’m no longer an alcoholic and I could be described as a recovering sex-fiend.”
Last time we spoke, Carol admitted that she had been barred from Jason’s snooker hall in Ranelagh, as well as half the shops in the street. So has she been unbarred?
“I haven’t been back to check,” she laughs, “I’m afraid to in case they recognise me! My hair’s now a bit blonder, so maybe I should chance it!”
She was also barred from the International Bar after she committed the crime of over-running in her very first gig, but was allowed back in on parole some time later.
Despite her experience and stature on the circuit, as proven by her being invited to play the Kilkenny Cat Laughs festival three years on the trot, Tobin still gets nervous before gigs.
“I thought the nerves would fade away as I got more experience, but maybe it works the other way,” she proffers. “The bigger your profile gets, the more you’re likely to take your career seriously and there’s the increasing pressure on you to live up to the billing.”
On her website, Carol admits to wanting to meet alcoholics, offering the following explanation.
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