AFTER celebrating 30 years of Fascinating Aida, Dillie Keane is taking a short break from her gal pals to tour her first solo show "for 557 years", playing Harrogate Theatre on Tuesday.

Written by Dillie and Fascinating partner in cabaret Adèle Anderson, and debuted at last summer's Edinburgh Fringe, the show finds Dillie accompanied on the piano by Michael Roulston in a night of new tunes, grand old favourites, gorgeous songs of love and humorous songs of utter wickedness.

"I'll break your heart, mend it again and have it sent to the cleaners for pressing," promises the 63-year-old Irish entertainer. "And I'll give you my recipe for chutney while I'm at it."

As a founding member of Fascinating Aida, Dillie has amassed more than 17 million hits on You Tube for the gals' charming and now infamous takes on such topics as cheap flights and OFSTED. Dillie’s notorious ode to dogging has reached two million hits and rising.
 

“I think I must be descended from a long line of itinerants, because there's nothing makes me happier than hitting the road again," says Dillie. "I'm delighted my little show is getting a longer shelf life and I've got a chance to do it in the places I love: our British provincial towns.

"You see, I only decided to do the show because my dear old pal and colleague from Fascinating Aïda, Adèle Anderson, wanted to go on holiday to North Korea. (Dear God... don't ask...).

"I couldn't bear the idea of sitting home twiddling my thumbs, but things didn't turn out quite as planned."

Dillie was rehearsing the show when news came that Adèle was not heading east at all. "Instead, she's taken a detour through the North Korea of Poorliness, travelling via the chemo day clinic and the hospital ward, poor love. So I suddenly found myself doing the show for rather longer than planned," she says.

"So, buoyed with the happiness of this result, I have set off on the road once more in the knowledge that Adèle's getting back to full strength again for Fascinating Aïda's full-time return in 2017."

Dillie adds: "I'm also delighted to be touring with the exceptionally talented Michael Roulston, well known and much in demand on the cabaret circuit in London.”

Tickets for Dillie's 7.30pm show in Harrogate can be booked on 01423 502116 or at harrogatetheatre.co.uk