Kick-ass comedy legend Margaret Cho is coming to Ireland for the irst time and we couldn’t be more excited. Author, actress and activist, Cho has been a fearless free spirit and a tireless advocate for LGBT+ rights for over a decade. As well as touring with her new show Fresh Of The Bloat, Cho has co-written and stars in Highland, a comedy series about two dysfunctional Korean families who run a weed dispensary, due to air next year. Now Cho talks to Aoife O’Connor about her irst Irish gig, the Harvey Weinstein allegations, and the campaign to Repeal the 8th amendment.

“If these women who have everything and who are incredibly political in other areas are forced to be silent, what are regular women supposed to do?

Hey, Margaret! Your new show ‘Fresh Off The Bloat’ has been touring the States for months, how are you feeling about bringing it to Ireland?

I’m excited, I can’t wait to get there. I’ve been wanting to come back for a long time. I’ve only been to Ireland once, a long time ago. I think I was like 15, and I missed U2 by a day. I’ve never been there as a comedian so I’m thrilled to come back in a very different capacity

You’ve never been afraid to speak your mind as a comedian, so what can audiences expect from this show?

It’s not like the show is always this one thing. The situations change. Like this whole thing that’s happening with Harvey Weinstein is crazy. I’ve never had any altercations with him but I’ve had that situation happen so many times.

The show talks about rape and sexual abuse. All of that is such a big part of my life and now I’m talking about it in my comedy. That’s a major part of what’s going to happen, and what’s going on in my stand-up – this adjustment to fit everything that’s going on into it.

I’ve been following it and talking a lot about it. It’s not that far away from Donald Trump either, he’s the same in so many ways and accused of the same kind of thing, yet for some reason he’s the president!

The craziness of these men in power who think that they can just do all that stuff. Now you’ve got these powerful women in the world coming forward, people like Angelina Jolie, who have been keeping silent for all this time. It’s insane that these elite, powerful women feel pressured to be silent. If these women who have everything and who are incredibly political in other areas are forced to be silent, what are regular women supposed to do?

Being queer, do you feel like you need to talk about LGBT+ issues on stage too?

That’s really important too. It’s part of my life and part of the entire identity that I have, so I’ve got to. I don’t have that luxury of being a secular comedian. You have these sort of ‘observational’ comedians, which basically just means straight, white, male, because that’s who the object is for. Observational comedy, it’s from the perspective of the privileged. I don’t ever get to do that. There’s never ever been a moment in my life or career where I could ever say that and just have a privileged point of view.

If you’re a woman, a woman of colour, if you’re queer; you have to talk about all of these things because the audience can’t get past it. They can’t get past the fact that you’re not like everyone else, but that’s also one of the great things about it too. Then people who are also feeling ‘othered’ in their lives; other people of colour; other people who are queer; other women; these people need that validation too. Like ‘okay, well I’ve had that happen to me, I understand’. It’s their perspective. I just think it’s all part of where we are as a society and how we have to learn to be and cope with who we are, and I love it. That’s why I love stand-up comedy, and I love doing what I do.

“It’s about our own body ownership and sovereignty – my body is a country and there are borders that cannot be crossed.

As well as touring with your show, you’re veering away from live-comedy with your new TV show. How’s ‘Highland’ going?

It’s a lot, but I love it. It’s great to be the star of something again; that’s always really special and a very different kind of experience than being a guest star or being a supporting player.

How much of your own life can we see in it?

It’s so close. There’s a couple of differences with my family, because my family didn’t run a marijuana dispensary. My father did have a gay book-store, like literally a gay bookstore, which back then was so crazy. It was so outrageous for a Korean immigrant to do, even more than marijuana.

It’s such a revolutionary thing because Korea is such a homophobic country, and it still is!

Even in the Pride parade you are not allowed to take photographs; people come in masks and disguises. It’s a very homophobic culture that’s so behind the times. Most of the gay people I know there are not out.

I don’t know what made him open the store. My parents are freaks, but they’re so great and they’re so different. So that part of it is a very strange story, but very real. That’s sort of the standing principal in the show and I’m really proud of it. We’ve worked so hard and I really love it.

Do you have a message for the people campaigning to Repeal the 8th amendment in Ireland?

It’s so important to do. We need to have a sovereignty over our own bodies. It’s the craziest thing when we’re not allowed to do these very important things with our lives and with our bodies. It’s about our own body ownership and sovereignty – my body is a country and there are borders that cannot be crossed.

Don’t miss Margaret Cho’s ‘Fresh Off The Bloat’ show at The Tivoli, Dublin, on November 26, ticketmaster.ie