The live stage show of Mrs Brown's Boys has already been seen by millions of theatre-goers the world over, but this Saturday our favourite foul-mouthed 'Mammy' is being unleashed LIVE on BBC1...
Brace yourselves! As Mrs Brown gears up for a live helping of the sitcom, its star Brendan O’Carroll warns viewers to expect the unexpected…
For the first time ever this Saturday, Mrs Brown’s Boys will be live on TV. Are you nervous? "I’m a little bit nervous, but I don’t think I’m as nervous as the BBC is – they’re letting Mrs Brown off the leash, and even I don’t completely know what she’s going to do! We’ve done a live Mrs Brown stage show and it’s nice to be trusted to do a live TV show – but viewers should expect the unexpected."
Story-wise, what will Mrs Brown and her family be getting up to in this live show? "Mrs Brown hears that one of her family is having 'bedroom problems', so she gets a copy of sex manual, the Kamasutra, to try and help them sort things out. But, typically, she’s overheard the conversation wrong and, in fact, the bedroom problem they’re having is trying to choose wallpaper!"
Mrs Brown’s Boys is unique in that production mistakes are often included as part of the show. But are you worried about things going wrong when it’s live? "I never worry about things going wrong – sometimes I make things go wrong on purpose, so we can have a bit of fun! If anything does go wrong on the night we’ll just leave it to Mrs Brown – she'll do something with it!"
We also often see cast-members get the giggles, especially if someone forgets their lines. Do you have a plan if that happens on the live show? "I always depend on my wife Jennifer [Gibney, who plays Mrs Brown’s daughter Cathy]. Jenny has always made a point of learning everybody’s lines in the show, so even when I go off on a tangent as Mrs Brown, she’ll bring the show back to where it’s supposed to be. So, if it’s Jenny that gets a fit of the giggles, then we’re in big trouble!"
Jennifer took part in Strictly Come Dancing in 2014. Would you ever do it – either as yourself or as Mrs Brown? "Nope, not even if you put a hot needle through a part of my anatomy! Jen’s enthusiasm carried her through, but it’s physically demanding and, even when you’re not rehearsing, you’re thinking about it – it takes up so much time. And then you’re judged on your performance. No, Strictly’s definitely not for me."
Mrs Brown's Boys Live can be seen on Saturday July 23rd at 9.45pm on BBC1
