She was irrepressible, very funny and fiercely protective of a woman’s right to her place as an equal in what was a very competitive, male dominated entertainment industry and in the wider world.
An American theatre critic once opened a review of Geraldine’s performance with: “Geraldine Doyle is a dangerous woman. When she turns on her comedy, nothing – absolutely nothing – is safe.” Her comedy sprang from her acute observations of the world around her and nobody was safe, not even her beloved husband Paddy Fitzpatrick who managed her career for almost 50 years.
She was a fixture on Australian television with regular appearances on The Mike Walsh Show, Midday with Ray Martin and the Kerri-Anne Kennerley Show. She won seven MO Awards, including being voted “Best Stand-up Comic in Australia” and was the subject of a 1987 ABC special titled “Funny Job For A Woman” made for their A Big Country TV series. Geraldine was also the first female to compere “The Annual Premier’s Concert” in the Sydney Entertainment Centre.
Originally from Ireland where she had established a reputation as a fine singer, she emigrated to Australia with her husband and son in the early 70s. It was here that the transition to an outstanding, quick-witted comic was completed. Her between song stories gradually consumed the greater part of her act when she found she could keep audiences laughing hysterically for an hour or more without even picking up her guitar.
She toured extensively in Australia, the US and Canada and headlined for many years aboard the most prestigious cruising ships around the world.
A staunch advocate of Dying With Dignity she fought a long battle with cancer that had returned seven years ago after her initial diagnosis back in 2009. With the help of Voluntary Assisted Dying, Geraldine Doyle passed away peacefully at home on Wednesday May 29.
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