Dillie Keane
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Dillie Keane is perhaps best known as one third of the comedy cabaret trio Fascinating Aida, ever since its inception in 1983, but she has had an equally prominent solo career.
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[edit] Education
As a teenager she studied in Woldingham School, but was expelled. She studied music at Trinity College, Dublin, but left the four-year degree after three years. She went on to study acting for three years at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art. She was recently made an Honorary Doctor of Letters at the University of Portsmouth in recognition of her career and her continuing links with the city.
[edit] Theatre
Keane was nominated for a Perrier Award at the Edinburgh Festival in 1990 for her one woman theatre show Single Again (Sean Hughes would go on to win the award), returning the following year with Citizen Keane. Between 1999 and 2001 she toured a one woman show, Back With You taking in the UK and Germany and winning the Best Comedy Award at the Moers Comedy Festival in 2001.
In 2002, Keane wrote the songs for the Sandi Toksvig's musical comedy Big Night Out At The Little Palace Theatre (starring in the show itself at the Palace Theatre), Watford with Toksvig and Bonnie Langford. Other works include the plays A Slice of Life (1981) and Boat People (1983). She has written songs for two pantos with Adele Anderson.
Meanwhile Keane continued her acting career, her CV listing touring versions of Dancing at Lughnasa and Charley's Aunt, Juno and the Paycock at the Leicester Haymarket; The Plough and the Stars at the West Yorkshire Playhouse in Leeds; Accommodating Eva at the King's Head Theatre in Islington and Present Laughter at Birmingham Repertory Theatre. She was also included in the premiere production of The Vagina Monologues in Dublin in 2002. She appeared with "Kit & the Widow" in Tomfoolery during 2005 and in the premiere one night only staging of a new musical version of "Little Women" at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane.
Keane has recently been (2006) appearing alongside "Jenny Eclair" and "Linda Robson", in "Grumpy Old Women Live" and is currently appearing as The Duchess in "Me and My Girl" on a new national tour.
[edit] Television
As well as a television version of Fascinating Aida, Dillie has appeared with Richard Griffiths and Samantha Janus in Pie in the Sky, and collaborated with Phil Cool on a number of his series as well as The Truth About Women.
[edit] Radio
Keane has written and presented on radio for shows such as Stop the Week 4th Column, Booked! and Call Me When You're in Something (which won the Prix Monte Carlo).
[edit] Writing
As well as the aforementioned song and script writing credits, Dillie has been a columnist for The Stage and the Mail on Sunday (1993-5), and published two books connected with 'Aida' The Joy of Sequins - The Fascinating Aïda Songbook (1995) and Fascinating Who? (1985).
Her current agent is Gavin Barker Associates Ltd.
