On the 29th December, I returned to my old stomping ground of Tallaght to review Kusanta Comedy Club. To be honest I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect. What I got was a fun-filled night full of laughter.
As a venue for comedy Kusanta works very well. It’s quite a large room and when I arrived it was pretty much packed to capacity; always a good sign of course! There was a good mix of people in the crowd, ranging from the young people to the older generation, which was nice to see for a change. At the front door I was greeted warmly and while standing taking in the room, I was asked if I was looking for seats. This all added to a feel-good experience, even before the comedy began.
Gunther (aka Barry Murphy)
Our MC for the night was Gunther (aka Barry Murphy). Gunther was a German native who was living in Ireland. His thoughts on the Irish people? We are all pixie-headed fucks apparently! This little insult was delivered in such a way that the audience didn’t take offence… a true comedian! In an unusual turn of events, Gunther invited the audience to heckle him. Why would a comedian do such a thing, I hear you gasp? Well because Gunther came prepared, that’s why! He produced from his pocket a list of “heckler put downs”, resulting in great hilarity all round. Barry’s ability to stay in character while always engaging with the audience was mesmerising.
Dermot McMurrow
First to grace the stage was Dermot McMurrow. Dermot is one of the writers for the Savage Eye. Very early on his set we learned from Dermot that if you have a firm handshake, then you are a wanker, so watch out while shaking hands lads! Dermot had a tough time at the beginning of his set with hecklers; at times I was thinking he could have done with Gunther’s heckle put down list. He managed to pull it back for a while only to lose the audience again after a failed attempt at a tale of dating a girl after taking magic mushrooms. However, I was pleasantly surprised and more importantly all was not lost as Dermot pulled out his secret weapon of hilariously funny one liners in the second part of his set. These one liners are where Dermot’s real skills lie. His ability to deliver lines such as “he was bedridden, and if you’re gonna be ridden it’s probably the best place” and “I watched a kettle the other day, it boiled” had the audience in stitches when he left the stage.
After a short break Gunther was back, telling us that we all smelled of brussels sprouts. He also sang a song: Band Aid’s Do They Know It’s Christmas. Well, I say sang…
Ian Perth
We were treated to a bonus act in the 2nd half, in the form of Ian Perth who helps run Kusanta . It was clear from the moment that Ian stepped on stage that he is a firm favourite in Kusanta . Ian is a natural storyteller and his natural ability to draw in a crowd and hold their attention is what makes him a great comedian. He gives everything to his performance which is evident in his tales of growing up in Tallaght. From his school books being covered in old wallpaper to the slagging kids used when he was growing up (yer Ma was used a lot!), nothing is a no go area for Ian it seems. There was also some Irish dancing thrown in too during the history lesson we got on the links between Scotland and Ireland, though I don’t think Michael Flatley has anything to worry about just yet.
Tommy Nicholson
Next on stage was a man who we were told in his introduction was Tommy Tiernan’s “favourite comedian”. A tall order to fill for the man; even I felt nervous for him. That man was Tommy Nicholson. Tommy opened with an off the cuff remark about being jealous of Santa and maybe he should turn up to people houses with a full sack. From there, it was all uphill for Tommy. He had the audience hooked. Tommy thinks that we should just blow the €85 million loan we got and tell England that it’s payment for the famine. Tommy is not just about being funny though. Oh no, Tommy has some great advice for the visitors to the country (and possibly to the natives too!). He says, “You can say anything to an Irish man once it’s followed by a wink and a smile”. There were many rounds of applause during Tommy’s performance and it is clear he is a favourite in Kusanta . His ability to draw the audience in from the very first line is what makes him a great comedian. Plus, it’s good to know that Mr. Tiernan has good taste!
During the second break, food was served to all the customers, which was unexpected and was a really nice touch.
Pat McDonnell
Headlining the gig was Pat McDonnell. This was the second time I had seen Pat in a very short space of time so I was curious to see if I would find the same material funny. I needn’t have worried. Pat is a hilarious story teller, so regardless of whether you have heard him tell you the same story a thousand times it will still be funny. His slightly awkward stage presence adds to the endearing quality which Pat has in bucketfuls! With his sheer patriotism shown through his outrage at no group coming to invade Ireland to his dislike of Duncan Stewart (which gained him a rapturous applause!) it was not hard for Pat to get the audience eating out the palm of his hand. He comes across as looking and feeling quite awkward on stage, yet he has an effortless way of communicating with the audience which makes him a firm favourite among the Irish comedy-going public.
Overall, my impression of Kusanta is that it is a very good comedy club. There was a good mix of people in the club which I have never seen before. If I was to say one negative thing about the club it would be that lounge/bar people walking around taking orders from the customers/collecting glasses, while adding to the comfort for some people, distracted from the comedians on the stage for a lot of others. There was a great atmosphere on the night and it seemed that neither the audience nor the comedians wanted the night to end. This is always a sign of a good night.
For details of upcoming gigs you can befriend Kusanta on Facebook.
