Play: True West: Assembly Rooms, Edinburgh, 2006
Peter Kay’s Phoenix Nights Live (as Barbara Nice): Manchester Phones4U Arena, Manchester, 2015
Mark Watson’s Watsonathon (as Barbara Nice): Online: 2020
Beefy’s Comedy Club (as Barbara Nice): Online: 2020
MY Comedy Chats: Online: 2021
Janice Connolly is a British comedian, actress and artistic director. I first saw her in 2006 feature the Edinburgh Fringe play True West in 2006. Then in 2015, the cast of Phoenix Nights – Peter Kay’s classic comedy series – were reunited live on stage for a number of charity shows with Connolly reprising her role of Holy Mary. It was a true joy to be so entertained by a group of very funny superb character comedians including Connolly.
I have been a big fan of the actress’s mainstay comedy act Barbara Nice. I saw her featured in Mark Watson’s Watsonathon – a 24-hour comedy online charity fundraiser marathon in May 2020 and I was delighted to see her headlining Beefy’s Comedy Club online that I saw in July 2020. The character of a northern housewife was wonderful to see and she was exceptionally funny with the audience make them run round their rooms trying to find costumes to appear amongst other things as a badger or a pheasant. I was crying with laughter at Nice’s new quacking duck puppet who stole the routine and the act was a fantastic headliner.
In January 2021, Nice proved to be a fantastic guest for Maureen Younger’s MY Comedy Chats online talking about her comedy career.