‘I felt a lot of shame around my mental health, but I was able to joke about it on stage’ — comedian Sophia Wren on her journey to stand-up

When Sophia Wren swishes into the bar of Dublin’s The Davenport Hotel in a bronze halter neck dress, her golden hair flowing down her back, she looks every inch the princess. Yet there are no airs or graces about her, and we ease into banter that’s not typical of two people meeting for the first time. The 33-year-old, otherwise known as Sophia Cadogan — Wren is her stage name — recently enjoyed a successful run at the Dublin Fringe Festival with her one-woman show, Princess Melancholy. Assuming the sugary persona of a twisted Barbie in a prom dress and Jimmy Choo stilettos, the show sees her excavate her personal life in a subversive fashion.