Enya Martin an incredibly talented local lady who performs at the Civic this weekend. Her comedy production is based on her much loved online characters from Giz a Laugh. Such a down to earth and lovely girl. We are incredibly proud that Enya is one of our past Tenderfoot students and had a chat with her before the live shows! Read more here:
Can you tell us a little bit about where you grew up, went to school etc.?
I grew up in Neilstown, Clondalkin with my parents and twin brother. I went to School in Collinstown Park Community College. I’ll never forget where I came from because it’s what gives me my comedy material!
You were part of The Civic Tenderfoot programme, can you tell us about that?
It was great fun I was involved in its second year running back in 2009 when I was 16. The guys who run it came around to a few schools in Dublin and done a screening process where they would filter out the most eligible actors and writers. We then rehearsed and performed for our schools in Tallaght Civic Theatre. It was flattering to have been picked as it really made me look more into performing as a career after school. It’s crazy how i’m coming back to host my own theatre show. Something i never would have imagined! (Learn more about TENDERFOOT here).
Could you tell us a little about your journey into showbusiness and how it all happened for you?
I was always very witty and loved making people laugh with my one liners. But if you told me back in secondary school, “you’re going to be a comedian and nearly 200,000 people on Facebook will follow your page.” I’d have probably laughed at you. I never once thought of pursuing it as a career as I thought it was just who I am, I though I was just funny, and I would still have to go to college and commit to the 9-5 life like everyone else. I studied maketing in college and it was in my 4th year of my degree in 2014, I posted my first video and Chanto was born. People loved her. However, looking back at some of my first videos, I have come a long way and my acting has improved too. It was the positive response to the videos that made me begin to imagine myself in showbiz and making money from it. It took a few years but Low and behold, I am! Facebook is a great platform to showcase your talents. I had seen other people find succes from it so I said to myself, i’ll give it a bash and see what happens. Nobody would even no me if it wasn’t for the power of video.
What do you wish someone had told you when you were starting out?
You get a lot of dodgy people trying to make money off of you and they think of themselves and not your best interests. I wish someone would have told me that in the beginning. I learned along the way though. I have a great manager now who is working wonders for me!
If you hadn’t been in showbiz, what would you have done?
I probably would have remained in the marketing industry. I did a lot of internships in the summer of 2016. It was at that time I saw how my page was rapidly growing and I was getting a lot of great opportunities. I threw the towel in. I wasn’t going to sit at a desk for the rest of my life and waste my talent by making someone else rich. I hesitated for months but it was the best decision ever to go self employed. I have never been happier. Some months it’s a feast or a famine but if you love what you do you’ll never work a day in your life and I consider myself very lucky because of that.
Can you tell us about your characters, where does your inspiration come from?
Chanto is a hybrid of a lot of girls I hung around with when I was younger and also some of the things I see on facebook on a daily basis. Shardon is definitely my mother’s twin. I get all shardons mannerisms from her. When I was younger I actually used to entertain my parents by doing impressions of other family members.
What do you hope audiences will take away from watching the show?
I really, really, really want the audience to enjoy it. I want them to want to see it again. I want them to see not only can I act and make jokes but that I can write and produce a show also.
What is next for you?
I’d love to tour the show around Ireland and also work on improving my stand-up and building my name. I feel i’ve already established a name online but now I want to do it on stage.
Any special message for audiences of the Civic?
Thank you so much for purchasing a ticket and trusting we will give you every penny back in laughs, because we will!!
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GIZ A LAUGH
Saturday 8th July SOLD OUT
Sunday 9th July Very Limited availability
BOOK TICKETS HERE
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