COMEDY Rosenstock brings Gift Grub to Castlebar

MANY FACES?Impressionist and satirist Mario Rosenstock.

Rosenstock brings Gift Grub to Castlebar


Interview
Ciara Galvin

HE likes nothing better than to get into a sleek little number and perform in front of thousands of people, and next Saturday night Mario Rosenstock will get the opportunity when he takes to the stage of the Royal Theatre Castlebar.
Last week, Mario told The Mayo News that he can’t wait to come back to the county town once again to bring Gift Grub Live 3 to a Mayo audience.
“It’s a mad night whenever I’m there, it’s a perfect amphitheatre for comedy, lovely, big expansive room,” said Rosenstock, who wasn’t messing about the mad nights.
The actor and comedian recalled the last time he was at the Royal Theatre and said he ‘disgraced myself’, dressing up as a bishop and pretending to be PΡdraig Flynn.
On another occasion, Mario’s show attracted political interest: Some Fine Gael councillors chose to sit in the audience rather than attend a council meeting that was being held next door.
“Enda Kenny ended up berating them after the show apparently. He met myself and Ian [Dempsey] after the show and bought us a pint,” said the funny man.
Asked if it’s awkward meeting people he characterises on radio, TV and in his shows, Rosenstock explained that it depends on how the other person acts, but for the most part he just tries to keep a straight face.
Meeting Rosenstock after his last show in Castlebar, the Taoisaeach said he was very funny and that he especially liked Rosenstock’s Michael Noonan impression.
Among Rosenstock’s favourite characters to play are Roy Keane, Joan Burton and Miriam O’Callaghan. Rosenstock said that as a character, Keane just ‘keeps on giving’, and joked that it was a good thing that he was blessed with ‘such beautiful eyes’ to perform as Miriam.
Saturday’s two hour show promises to be an interactive, laugh-a-minute show for audience members who could even find themselves on stage.
Asked if Mayo’s two most famous men, Enda Kenny and Louis Walsh, will be making an appearance in his routine, the affable star said there will be ‘more of Enda’ and revealed that Louis Walsh will be looking to discover a band while he is back in his home county, with the help of Keith ‘Howya Buddies’ Duffy.
For the third instalment of the successful show, audiences can expect a few new characters cropping up, such as Bono, Mary Lou McDonald and Christy Moore.
Rosenstock said taking to the stage is his favourite thing to do, but admitted that he still gets nervous beforehand. “I start to get nervous at four or five in the evening, and by ten to eight you’re kind of hyped and kind of ready to go to war.”
Speaking about the success of the first leg of the tour earlier this year, Rosenstock said its hard to predict whether any tour will be a success.
“You never know what to expect. To be honest I never know when the whole thing is just going to go … You could have the best show in the world, like a really good show. I believe this is the best show I’ve ever done – but then you could put tickets on sale and they don’t sell … You never know when it’s going to end … I just feel really lucky to be able to do it,” he said.   

Tickets for Saturday’s show, €35 including booking fee, are available from www.ticketmaster.ie and from the Royal Theatre Castlebar booking office at www.TheRoyal.ie or 0818 300 000.