Ask anyone what their introduction to the theatre was and odds are they'll say "Maureen Potter". Whether you saw her doing variety in the music halls, panto in the Gaiety or even doing a star turn on the Late Late Show, Potter is undoubtedly the closest we have to a grande dame of the Irish stage. On Monday evening, a number of well-known faces will be coming together on the Gaiety stage to pay tribute to Maureen and to keep the audience well amused while they're at it. The evening was the brainchild of producer John McColgan of Riverdance fame, who is a fan of Maureen Potter, having worked with her in RTE in the 1960s. "She made such a unique contribution to the Irish dramatic landscape and this is a way for myself and other artists to say thank-you," he says.
Those artists include: Gay Byrne; Donal McCann; Johnny Logan, who will be flying in from Germany to sing; Eamon Kelly, who will be performing with Maureen; and Niall Toibin, who will perform a piece especially written for the occasion, as will Rosaleen Linehan. The line-up also includes Des Keogh, John Kavanagh, variety artist Patricia Cahill, who is flying in from Spain; the Billy Barrie Kids and the Riverdance troupe, who will perform twice during the evening. The President Mrs McAleese will attend, and a grand finale of Happiness Is by Maureen and all the other performers is promised.
"As a nation we tend to only praise people after they're gone. This is a chance to let Maureen hear it for herself and for the audience to enjoy her performances again" says McColgan. The only bad news is that the show sold out on the day it was announced.