A familiar face from BBC’s Blue Lights and Derry Girls is using comedy to break the silence around IVF, postnatal depression and the quiet identity crisis many women face after becoming mothers.
Diona Doherty, best known for her work on BBC One’s The Blame Game and her scene-stealing role as Katya in Derry Girls, is lifting the lid on her own experience of infertility, motherhood and mental health, not on screen, but on stage.
The Derry-born actress and writer says a chance video about flamingos losing their pink after giving birth was the unexpected inspiration behind her deeply personal new project.
“Apparently when flamingos have babies, they turn white. They give so much to their chicks they literally drain themselves of colour. And I thought, well, that’s me.”
Doherty, a mother of two, speaks candidly about the challenges she faced following IVF, including postnatal depression and the loss of her identity outside of being a parent.
“It’s not just about the baby blues. It’s about how easily women can disappear into the background of their own lives — and how hard it is to claw your way back.”
While maternal mental health is a growing public concern, Doherty believes it’s still too rarely discussed with honesty, let alone humour.
“There’s so much shame and silence around it. But if there’s one thing I know how to do, it’s tell the truth and get a laugh at the same time.”
In her effort to “get her pink back”, Doherty took up choir singing, Kerby, Zumba and even tried a silent retreat.
“That just gave me time to reflect on how mad everything had been. You’re meant to sit in silence and have revelations. I just sat there going, ‘Where the hell did my abs go?”
While audiences at the Edinburgh Fringe will see the results of that journey in her debut solo hour Get Your Pink Back! later this summer, Doherty insists the message goes far beyond one show.
“It’s about saying to other women: you’re not broken, you’re not failing, and you’re definitely not alone.”
The show also marks a new chapter in an already impressive career. Doherty has featured in Soft Border Patrol, Give My Head Peace, and A Perforated Ulster across radio and TV. Her stage work includes writing and starring in Bridesmaids of Northern Ireland, which sold out theatres across the country, and Sunny Side Up, a one-woman dark comedy that ran to critical acclaim in Belfast.
“I love acting, but this is different,” she says.
“This is me, without a script or character. It’s terrifying. But it’s the most important thing I’ve ever done.”
Diona Doherty’s debut stand up show ‘Get Your Pink Back!’ will be at the Monkey Barrel 2 for the entire fringe for tickets go to www.edfringe.com
