Mad Hatter Q&A - Gearóid Farrelly: "My jeans falling down when I walked off stage at Edinburgh was pretty embarrassing"

Who would be the last person you would invite to your birthday party?
I’m not good at organising parties. I’d probably stop somewhere around the Fs. So it would probably be someone in my family.

Who would be the first person you would invite to your birthday party?
My boyfriend. I forget the important details and he usually has it covered. He could do a lot better.

Favourite saying?
I’m on tour with Joanne McNally at the moment and she said I say, “There but for the grace of God go I” quite a lot.

Favourite record?
If you stay seated at a wedding for The Nolans’ ‘I’m In The Mood For Dancing’ , I’ll judge you harshly.

Favourite book?
My book of the year so far was The Amusements by Aingeala Flannery. I loved every page.

Favourite film?
Ruthless People or Big Business.

Favourite author?
I love David Sedaris, but every so often I like a good bludgeoning, so Karyn Slaughter is great for that.

Favourite actor / actress?
I hosted a screening of Cagney & Lacey at the Galway Film Fleadh and I interviewed Tyne Daly for it. She was amazing.

Favourite musician?
Jann Arden. She’s the perfect blend of melancholy and quirk.

Most embarrassing moment of your life?
My jeans fell down when I was walking off-stage in Edinburgh.

Favourite food/drink/stimulant?
Ice cream which is all of those things

TV programme?
I watch The Golden Girls or Frasier every night before bed. Schitt’s Creek is perfection too.

Favourite TV personality?
Elaine Crowley or Brendan Courtney

Most desirable date?
Well obviously my boyfriend because blah blah blah... but seriously, Dan Levy.

Favourite method of relaxation?
I bought a bath tray so a bath, a gin & tonic and an iPad. The G&T really takes the edge off worrying that the iPad will fall in the water.

If you weren’t pursuing your present career, what other one might you have chosen?
An incredibly annoying computer programmer.

Biggest thrill?
Making a Baked Alaska, which was more exciting than losing my virginity.

Biggest disappointment?
The return of Dexter.

Your concept of heaven?
My pals sitting around a kitchen table, wine, nachos and chat.

Your concept of hell?
The green room... of anything.

Greatest ambition?
Winning an Emmy writing a sitcom.

Period of history you’d most like to have lived in and why?
The Renaissance. There were lots of hot lads getting sculpted.

If you weren’t a human being, which animal would you choose to be?
Cat. Provided I was owned by some middle-class gays with great taste.

If you were told that the world was ending tomorrow morning, how would you react?
Go into the family WhatsApp group and see who was going to die with who. Then I’d put on The Golden Girls and snooze with the cat on the couch until armageddon.

Humanity’s most useful invention?
Cork-screw.

Humanity’s most useless invention?
Voice activated software. I ask it to turn on the hot water, and instead it plays an Ibiza playlist at 6am.

• Gearóid Farrelly plays Vicar Street, Dublin on March 8 and 25. All tour dates on gearoidfarrelly.com.

Read more interviews in the new issue of Hot Press, out now.