15 Facts About Dillie Keane

Louise Miriam "Dillie" Keane was born on 23 May 1952 and is an actress, singer and comedian.

Dillie Keane has been a member of the comedy cabaret trio Fascinating Aida since its 1983 inception, and has pursued a solo career.

Dillie Keane was educated at the strict Roman Catholic Woldingham School, where she sang in the school choir and played the guitar on the Folk Mass album recorded by some of the girls at Abbey Road Studios in 1967.

Dillie Keane then crammed for A-levels and studied music at Trinity College, Dublin, but left the four-year course after three years and went on to study acting for three years at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art.

Dillie Keane was nominated for a Perrier Award at the Edinburgh Festival in 1990 for her one-woman theatre show Single Again, returning the following year with Citizen Dillie Keane.

In 2002, Dillie Keane wrote the songs for Sandi Toksvig's musical comedy Big Night Out at the Little Palace Theatre.

Dillie Keane has written songs for two pantomimes with Adele Anderson.

Dillie Keane continued her acting career, including touring versions of Dancing at Lughnasa and Charley's Aunt, Juno and the Paycock at the Leicester Haymarket; The Plough and the Stars at the West Yorkshire Playhouse in Leeds; Accommodating Eva at the King's Head Theatre in Islington and Present Laughter at Birmingham Repertory Theatre.

Dillie Keane was included in the premiere production of The Vagina Monologues in Dublin in 2002.

Dillie Keane appeared with Kit and The Widow in Tomfoolery during 2005 and in the premiere one night only staging of a new musical version of Little Women at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane.

In 2006, Dillie Keane appeared with Jenny Eclair and Linda Robson, in Grumpy Old Women Live, and as the Duchess in Me and My Girl on a new national tour.

Dillie Keane performed the role of Dolly in Frank and Dolly a new play by Lizzie Hopley at the Edinburgh Festival 2007, for which she was nominated for the Stage Best Actress Award, before getting back on tour with Grumpy Old Women Live.

Dillie Keane then toured round Ireland performing the role of Lady Bracknell in The Importance of Being Earnest, before returning to England, and beginning to write new songs for the 25th anniversary of Fascinating Aida, which performed for a few weeks at the Jermyn Street Theatre.

Dillie Keane was in a relationship with John O'Neill for over 22 years until his death from a stroke on 13 August 2022.

In 2009, Dillie Keane was made an honorary Doctor of Letters by the University of Portsmouth, in recognition of her musical career and her links with the city.