As the beloved character of Nanny Nellie, whom he describes as a “cross between Mrs Doyle, Mrs. Doubtfire, and a little bit of double entendre from Mrs Slocombe from Are You Being Served, Frank Mackey has been making panto audiences laugh for over 20 years at Cork Opera House.
His joy at playing the role of the Dame in Aladdin is tinged with sadness this year though, as his beloved mother Breda passed away in January aged 86, so this is the first time she won’t be looking on proudly from the audience.
Frank was very like his mum in personality, and people say that when he puts on the wig, he is very like her physically, including the mannerisms.
“My mum had a great sense of humour, and she had a great personality in company,” he says. “My catchphrase is “you dirty-looking eejit” and she actually gave me that as a child.
“She passed away 11 months ago, so this time of year is hard as all the triggers are going off. It’s very tough because we were very close. She was a force of nature, and there’s a colossal void there. It’s a terrible loss.”
Frank says that the triggers can be simple ones – hearing a favourite song or not being able to buy something that he would normally have picked up for his mum.
Frank lives in Dublin now but the ongoing work with the panto ensures that he keeps up the connection there. When his mum was hospitalised last year, he was grateful that he was around Cork and able to pop in and out to her.
“This time last year, I was going to the hospital every day, doing the panto and then going back to see her,” he says, sadly. “When she was dying, I laid with her for two days, and it was the most beautiful time. I was very lucky to be there with her at that moment.”
“I’ve dedicated a seat to her in the Opera House, just as a memory, because she sat in a certain seat every time she came to see the show, and the staff would all make a fuss of her. She was so proud coming in.
Frank originally lived just off Patrick’s Hill with his family. He started acting in the Gaiety Theatre in Dublin back in the early 1980s, and went on to carve out a great career that saw him working in places like the Abbey and Gate theatres.
His panto career began in the early days as he did five years in panto at the Gaiety with June Rodgers and Eileen Reed.
This is Frank’s 21st year doing the Cork Opera House panto, and his 11th year co-writing it with Trevor Ryan. Nanny Nellie is such a beloved character, so the challenge is to keep it fresh every year, which of course, they manage to do successfully.
“She’s the modern hip-hop granny,” he laughs. “She’s a cross between Mrs Doyle, Mrs. Doubtfire, and a little bit of double entendre from Mrs Slocomabe from Are You Being Served.
When he began working at Cork Opera House, Frank felt the weight of following in the footsteps of the much-loved Billa O’Connell, saying that the late beloved entertainer left “huge shoes to fill”.
The panto writing began when the former CEO of Cork Opera House, Mary Hickson, asked him if he would be interested in writing it? He and Trevor start working on it in March every year, and they audition in London, Dublin and Cork. Then they tackle set hunting and costume design, and Frank is involved in the whole process.
“Trevor is brilliant,” he says. “We have a very different sense of humour to each other as his is more dry while mine is more slapstick. It’s a good combination and we work very well together, and have had a great relationship for the last 11 years.”
Frank admits to being shyer off-stage than he is on it, and believes that many actors thrive on being able to hide behind their characters
“Our persona or characters will always take over,” he says. “I’m quite private in my life, I suppose, and I travel a lot, which is great as I get ideas then, which helps with the writing. I keep a low profile and I have a good group of friends that I hang around with, and once this panto marathon starts, I just get totally involved in it.”
Frank spends Christmas with his family in Cork, and says that his dad, Tom, is fantastic. Obviously losing his wife of 65 years has been very hard for him.
“My sister Rose was extraordinary through Mum’s illness as well and I’d be lost without her,” he says. “It’s hard for my dad as he’s there looking at an empty chair, God love him.”
Frank’s parents used to spend a lot of time in Lanzarote, where they have a place, and they loved it there. Losing his mum made Frank realise that the people in the audience may be going through something hard in life, which is why going to the panto is such a lovely escape for them. He believes that his job is to bring joy and laughter to people, and a little bit of escapism.
Once Christmas is over, he gets to take a well-deserved rest, but then scripts come in and he does work on films and soap operas, as he chooses.
“It’s a nice position to be in as an actor, because many people don’t get that choice,” he says. “So if I like a script, or there’s a couple of days on a movie or on a soap, then I’ll certainly go for a couple of days.”
Aladdin runs at Cork Opera House until January 18, 2026. Directed by Trevor Ryan, the production features some of Cork’s finest talent alongside some familiar faces; including Frank Mackey as the beloved Nanny Nellie, Michael Grennel as the evil Abanazar and in her third consecutive Panto, Cork’s Alison McCormack as Wishee Washy.
They will be joined by a trio of stars with lots of West End experience as Anthony Sahota (Billionaire Boy) stars as Aladdin and Issy Khogali (Matilda) as Jasmine. While hailing from Youghal, Callum Martin (Sister Act) plays the role of Genie for a marathon 70-show run.
