Karen Dunbar
Encyclopedia
Karen Dunbar is a Scottish
comedienne and entertainer.
comedy series Chewin' the Fat
and subsequently was given her own show by the channel, The Karen Dunbar Show
.
Prior to mainstream success, Karen, an out lesbian
, was well known on the Scottish gay scene, including regularly hosting karaoke
nights in both Glasgow
and in Edinburgh
.
, at the King's Theatre
in Glasgow
, playing Nanny Begood in Sleeping Beauty
. Further pantomime roles include the Good Fairy and the Wicked Stepmother in Cinderella
(2008–09) and Widow Twankey
in Aladdin
(2009–10). She appeared as a critic on "Britain's Got More Talent" on 27 May 2008.
In 2008, Dunbar was scheduled to star in Ecstasy, the film adaptation of Irvine Welsh
's best-selling novel, Ecstasy: Three Tales of Chemical Romance
, as well as performing a series of shows at the Edinburgh Fringe
.
Also known as a comedy actress, she has tackled serious roles, most notably to date her performance in the poetic monologue
A Drunk Woman Looks at the Thistle adapted by Denise Mina
from Hugh MacDiarmid's poem, A Drunk Man Looks at the Thistle
.
In 2009, she starred in a 6 part series of new Scottish
comedy Happy Hollidays
.
(15 September 2005, page 9), Dunbar and her partner Jennifer were married in a ceremony in Toronto
. They separated in July 2009.
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
comedienne and entertainer.
Early life
She first came to the attention of mainstream audiences in the BBC ScotlandBBC Scotland
BBC Scotland is a constituent part of the British Broadcasting Corporation, the publicly-funded broadcaster of the United Kingdom. It is, in effect, the national broadcaster for Scotland, having a considerable amount of autonomy from the BBC's London headquarters, and is run by the BBC Trust, who...
comedy series Chewin' the Fat
Chewin' the Fat
Chewin' the Fat is a Scottish comedy sketch show, starring Ford Kiernan, Greg Hemphill and Karen Dunbar. Comedians Paul Riley and Mark Cox also appeared regularly on the show.Chewin' the Fat first started as a radio series on BBC Radio Scotland...
and subsequently was given her own show by the channel, The Karen Dunbar Show
The Karen Dunbar Show
The Karen Dunbar Show was a television comedy sketch show that aired on BBC One Scotland, starring the popular Scottish comedian Karen Dunbar . It is one of the many popular Scottish comedies produced by BBC Scotland....
.
Prior to mainstream success, Karen, an out lesbian
Lesbian
Lesbian is a term most widely used in the English language to describe sexual and romantic desire between females. The word may be used as a noun, to refer to women who identify themselves or who are characterized by others as having the primary attribute of female homosexuality, or as an...
, was well known on the Scottish gay scene, including regularly hosting karaoke
Karaoke
is a form of interactive entertainment or video game in which amateur singers sing along with recorded music using a microphone and public address system. The music is typically a well-known pop song minus the lead vocal. Lyrics are usually displayed on a video screen, along with a moving symbol,...
nights in both Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
and in Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
.
Career
Over Christmas 2007 Karen made her first appearance in pantomimePantomime
Pantomime — not to be confused with a mime artist, a theatrical performer of mime—is a musical-comedy theatrical production traditionally found in the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Jamaica, South Africa, India, Ireland, Gibraltar and Malta, and is mostly performed during the...
, at the King's Theatre
King's Theatre, Glasgow
The King's Theatre is located in Glasgow, Scotland. It was built for Howard & Wyndham Ltd under its chairman Baillie Michael Simons as a sister theatre of their Theatre Royal in the city and was designed by Frank Matcham, opening in 1904. The theatre is primarily a receiving house for touring...
in Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
, playing Nanny Begood in Sleeping Beauty
Sleeping Beauty
Sleeping Beauty by Charles Perrault or Little Briar Rose by the Brothers Grimm is a classic fairytale involving a beautiful princess, enchantment, and a handsome prince...
. Further pantomime roles include the Good Fairy and the Wicked Stepmother in Cinderella
Cinderella
"Cinderella; or, The Little Glass Slipper" is a folk tale embodying a myth-element of unjust oppression/triumphant reward. Thousands of variants are known throughout the world. The title character is a young woman living in unfortunate circumstances that are suddenly changed to remarkable fortune...
(2008–09) and Widow Twankey
Widow Twankey
Widow Twankey is a female character in the pantomime Aladdin. The character is a pantomime dame, portrayed by a man; and is a comic foil to the principal boy, Aladdin – played by an actress.-History:...
in Aladdin
Aladdin
Aladdin is a Middle Eastern folk tale. It is one of the tales in The Book of One Thousand and One Nights , and one of the most famous, although it was actually added to the collection by Antoine Galland ....
(2009–10). She appeared as a critic on "Britain's Got More Talent" on 27 May 2008.
In 2008, Dunbar was scheduled to star in Ecstasy, the film adaptation of Irvine Welsh
Irvine Welsh
Irvine Welsh is a contemporary Scottish novelist, best known for his novel Trainspotting. His work is characterised by raw Scottish dialect, and brutal depiction of the realities of Edinburgh life...
's best-selling novel, Ecstasy: Three Tales of Chemical Romance
Ecstasy: Three Tales of Chemical Romance
Ecstasy: Three Tales of Chemical Romance is a collection of three novellas by Irvine Welsh.-Lorraine Goes To Livingston:After suffering a stroke, Rebecca Navarro, a best-selling romance novelist, discovers the truth about her corrupt, pornography-loving husband...
, as well as performing a series of shows at the Edinburgh Fringe
Edinburgh Fringe
The Edinburgh Festival Fringe is the world’s largest arts festival. Established in 1947 as an alternative to the Edinburgh International Festival, it takes place annually in Scotland's capital, in the month of August...
.
Also known as a comedy actress, she has tackled serious roles, most notably to date her performance in the poetic monologue
Monologue
In theatre, a monologue is a speech presented by a single character, most often to express their thoughts aloud, though sometimes also to directly address another character or the audience. Monologues are common across the range of dramatic media...
A Drunk Woman Looks at the Thistle adapted by Denise Mina
Denise Mina
Denise Mina is a Scottish crime writer and playwright. She has written the Garnethill trilogy and another three novels featuring the character Patricia "Paddy" Meehan, a Glasgow journalist. Described as an author of Tartan Noir, she has also dabbled in comic book writing, having recently written...
from Hugh MacDiarmid's poem, A Drunk Man Looks at the Thistle
A Drunk Man Looks at the Thistle
A Drunk Man Looks at the Thistle is a long poem by Hugh MacDiarmid written in Scots and published in 1926. It is composed as a form of monologue with influences from stream of consciousness genres of writing...
.
In 2009, she starred in a 6 part series of new Scottish
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
comedy Happy Hollidays
Happy Hollidays
Happy Hollidays is a British television situation comedy, created and written by Simon Carlyle and Gregor Sharp, and broadcast by BBC Scotland...
.
Personal life
According to the Pink PaperPink Paper
The Pink Paper is a UK publication covering gay and lesbian issues. Founded in 1987 as a newspaper, since June 2009 it has been available only on the Internet....
(15 September 2005, page 9), Dunbar and her partner Jennifer were married in a ceremony in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
. They separated in July 2009.