Ahead of Dublin Fringe Festival 2024, Paddy Daddy star and creator Mark T Cox tells GCN about his new cabaret show.

The last time I attempted to perform at Dublin Fringe Festival was in 2020.

The show was ready, the tickets were sold, and I was quarantining in my brother’s house in the suburbs when it was announced that Covid rules were changing again, and the show this time, must in fact not go on.

I ran away back to the UK and have been gigging and entertaining the people of London ever since. Over the past four years, I’ve finally found my place in the queer cabaret scene of East London, performing in chaotic places like The Glory, The Divine, RVT, plus a few glam residencies in West End clubs and cocktail bars (straight people have money, so we need to entertain them too).

But it’s time to come home and have a bit of a night out! Or six nights out actually…

I’m bringing my show Paddy Daddy to Dublin Fringe Festival from September 10 to 15. It’s a camp queer cabaret, a mix of comedy, stories and songs. There’ll be a piano, lights, and lots of glittery blouses! A boozy night out for the gays, the girlies and the allies.

What’s it all about? The show is a tell-all. A deep dive, really. A glimpse into the many, many (too many to be honest) intimate affairs I’ve enjoyed in the west of Ireland. Charting the ups and downs, the ins and outs… a blow-by-blow account! You’ll love it.

We’ll be weaving our way through naughty little stories of school-time romance, forbidden affairs on the Atlantic coast, and riding in the back of a Ford Fiesta. A love story we’ve all experienced!

The show is scattered with fab pop song covers, think JLO, the Spice Girls, The Corrs, plus a few sneaky Mark T Cox originals thrown in there too.

I’m actually so excited to come do this in Dublin this September. I’ve been performing at Edinburgh Fringe Festival all through August and trust me, 26 nights in a row (26 NIGHTS) forces you to really perfect the show. It’s so tight and sharp I could perform it in my sleep. There have been a few nights in Edinburgh where I HAVE actually performed it in my sleep.

 

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But it’s not a set-scripted show. It’s a cabaret. Which means… well nobody fully understands what cabaret actually means.

Cabaret is loose. There’s an ease to it. There’s space to swerve, talk to the audience, follow the vibe of the room. I’ll often be halfway through a show and completely change the setlist, just from picking up on the energy of the crowd and what I think they might like.

I had a room full of 20-something Gen Z’s last week who did not know a WORD of a Spice Girls song, so we flipped and gave them a Kim Petras, and they adored it.

The venue for the Dublin show is very special. I can’t wait for you to see it. Cabaret does not work in a stern black box theatre. For Paddy Daddy I wanted something smart, glam, and a bit chic. The team at Dublin Fringe Festival delivered!

I’ll be at the Glass Mask Theatre – a gorgey little cabaret/jazz lounge vibe with tables and candles, tucked behind a restaurant on Dawson Street.

The show starts at 7pm, but you can casually saunter in early, grab a glass of wine and some glamorous cheese, and settle in for a lovely night.

I’m there for six nights, September 10 to 15. Bring the gays. Bring the girlies. Bring your newly-woke Irish Mammy.

PLUS, I’ll be sneaking into The George on Wednesday, September 11, to join my oldest friend Veda Lady live on stage. Veda has been with me for over 10 years, helping me to figure out this bizarre career.

Some of my very first shows in Dublin were at The George, as a shy and messy twink. It’ll be lovely to come back, a fully formed dad.

 

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Paddy Daddy runs at Glass Mask Theatre, Dawson Street from September 10 to 15 as part of Dublin Fringe Festival 2024. To find out more and book your tickets now, click here.