Category Archives: Comedy

The Comedy Interview: Michael Porter

  By Amanda | December 23, 2011 - 9:14 am | Comedy
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Walking into Lucan Comedy Cavern, the location for my interview with Northern Ireland born comedian Micahael Porter, I was greeted by a poster which stated “MC Mad Mickey Porter”. This, I must admit, did not instill a lot of hope in me…but did mirror a lot of what had been said to me when I told people I was interviewing Michael. For me Michael is an interesting man and also a damn funny stand up, not even taking into account my fondness for the northern accent…with all this in mind I sat down with Michael to discuss all things comedy related and to get to know the man behind the persona. So Michael how did you get into comedy? It was a mistake. Well it kinda was. I stumbled into comedy by accident. I realised I have so much shit and traumatic experiences in my life that I have to … There’s more →

Events: Fred Cooke brings “Tilted” to Whelan’s

  By Amanda | December 20, 2011 - 9:00 am | Comedy
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Looking for that perfect Christmas present for the comedy lover in your life? Well here it is! The whirlwind that is Fred Cooke brings his new show “Tilted” to Whelan’s next February. After his sell out success in 2011 including a run in Edinburgh, Fred returns with a brand new show to tickle your funny bones once again! Fred realized at a young age that he would never become a professional footballer. In his teen years it was becoming more unlikely of Radiohead accepting him in as their sixth member. It was this moment that he became a multi-award winning stand-up comedian (even before his first gig). Since that moment he has rapidly become a unique stand-up delivering a style of comedy that simply cannot be imitated. Plus he is one hell of a melodica player! The Critics love him….. “High octane, manic brand of surreal genius” THE MUNSTER EXPRESS … There’s more →

Review: ‘Yeah, Yeah’ - Dylan Moran

  By Lisa McInerney | December 19, 2011 - 9:00 am | Comedy, The Culch
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There was a point, about halfway through Dylan Moran’s latest stand-up DVD ‘Yeah, Yeah’, where it suddenly came to me in glorious Technicolour that it’s impossible to find a comedian funny unless you’re entirely on his side. I don’t mean that people can’t be won over by a stand-up they had previously dismissed; the funny bone is not the most consistent of props, after all. Admittedly, you’d be unlikely to ever find me laughing at Lee Evans, Michael McIntyre or Ronni Ancona, but it wasn’t long before the previously perplexing Mitchell and Webb got a giggle out of me, and Sean Lock’s hilarious turn on Ideal has earned him a free pass, at least for the time being. No, in this instance I’m hypothesising that you have to be able to see where the comedian’s coming from before you can laugh with him. There has to be, at the very … There’s more →

Comedy and a Free Turkey: A Very Merry Death of Comedy @ The Workman’s Club

  By Sinead Keogh | December 18, 2011 - 5:48 pm | Comedy, Events, Food
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We’ve given a few nods to The Death of Comedy series at The Workman’s Club this year. It always makes for a funny night of affordable laughs with its €5 pricetag and it’s a great venue for comedy. Easily our favourite place for a pint of 2011, featuring easily one of our favourite up-and-comer comedians in the form of Conor O’Toole, we highly recommend getting down there tomorrow night for their Christmas show - A Very Merry Death of Comedy. The headliner for the night is Jarlath Regan and you can get in for free if you sign up as a Death of Comedy member here (it’s less about actually being a full-blown member of a comedy troupe with a mere scribble of your signature and more about joining a mailing list - don’t know about you but we’re grand with selling our souls for a fiver all the same and … There’s more →

Steve Cummins: Where do Daddies come from? A pregnancy bible for men

  By Amanda | December 17, 2011 - 9:58 am | Books, Comedy
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I went to the recording of Republic of Telly last Sunday (and before you ask yes Dermot is kinda cute up close!) and the extremely talented Steve Cummins was the warm up, get the audience in a laughing mood guy. So being the nice person I am I sent him a message the next day telling him I really enjoyed his stuff. I was not prepared for his response, which went along the lines of on the off-chance that you are pregnant I have a new book out… or if you want to get pregnant that would be great. Hmmm. I’m not really feeling in the mood to get pregnant at the moment so we made a compromise which involves me telling all you lovely people about his new book. We all know there a about a gazillion books out there to help women through pregnancy from what to expect … There’s more →

Fecquin Hilarious

  By Lisa McInerney | December 16, 2011 - 4:00 pm | Comedy, Music, Random Whimsy, The Culch, The Internet
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If you’ve logged onto the internet at all in the last couple of months, you’ll probably have heard me bleating on, and on, and on about my recent move back home to rural South County Galway, a place with rocks where fields should be and reality where Killinaskully should be. Since I got settled back in Connacht, I’ve struggled with how best to explain this reclaimed lifestyle to my urbane urbanites back in my adopted city of Cork. Should I send them photos of cows in flagrante delicto? Elderly priests falling off their bicycles? Perhaps videos of boy racers speeding their Massey Fergusons up and down the community school car park? For a while, it was as perplexing a quandary as our disappearing lakes. And then Garry Carroll sorted it for me, just as he had sorted Fade Street and Coldplay. I should never have doubted him. Garry Carroll, also … There’s more →

Comedy Review: A tale of 3 Cities Improv

  By Amanda | December 16, 2011 - 9:29 am | Comedy
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Improv is not a form of comedy I would have been very familiar with, that is before I went along to an improv show by the Laughalot Improv group in Dublin. So when Neil Curran offered me the chance to go to an exciting new side project himself and some other members of “Choke Improv” in Limerick and “The Spontaneous Theatre People” in Galway, were involved in, I of course jumped at the chance! This is why I found myself sitting in Doyle’s pub filled with excitement at the prospect of what the show aptly named “A Tale of 3 cities” would bring! After all no two shows are ever alike! The Make-up artists are made up of Órla McGovern, Tracy Aspel, John Loftus, Neil Curran and Brian Quinn. Music on the night was provided by Niceol Blue. The show began with a song. What a way to start! Though … There’s more →

Events: The Christmas Quiet Pint

  By Amanda | December 15, 2011 - 9:00 am | Comedy
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It’s Christmas!!! And the Quiet Pint lads want you to celebrate in style with them at 4 Dame lane! They are promising Comedy, Cats and Christmas…. Well 2 of the 3 anyway! It’s their favourite Quiet Pint of the year and for your entertainment and to make you laugh so hard your belly aches there will be: Hugh O’Connor, Declan Bruton, Matt Smyth and John Gallagher - yes that’s right, John’s back from the Empire with spoils galore. There is also a Special Guest, which even I don’t know about… However I can tell you to get your voices ready for a carol singing session with Danny Forde to get you in the festive mood and other types of moods apparently… And of course the man himself Santa will be there with his elf! Might be a chance to convince him you have been good this year! Where: 4 Dame … There’s more →

The Comedy Interview: Foil, Arms and Hog

  By Amanda | December 14, 2011 - 1:00 pm | Comedy
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Foil Arms and Hog are one of those comedy groups that mesmerise and amaze you with their quick-witted humour and perfect comic timing on stage. Off stage they are a really nice and funny bunch of guys! I caught up with them in their fancy offices recently for a chat about comedy and their future plans. So lads my first question has to be about your name. What’s with that? (After much hole-digging on my part, trying to remember what I heard we finally got to the correct answer!)The lads explain that the name grew from nicknames they had for each other, like ripping it out of each other’s style of performance, so Sean Finegan became Foil as in the comedic foil, the straight man in the sketch, Conor got Arms because he is big into the physical style of comedy and Sean Flanagan ended up with Hog as he likes … There’s more →

Comedy Review: Stand up against the Bankers @ Anseo

  By Amanda | December 14, 2011 - 9:11 am | Comedy
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Anseo is one of those venues that I had made plans to get to but had never quite managed to make it. Since I had got to know Aidan Killian he had been suggesting that I go, so when I came across the Stand up against the Bankers gig in aid of Occupy Dame Street which sparked the inner protestor in me, mash that together with comedy and of course you will find me there! How could I refuse? Anseo as a venue is brilliant. While sitting waiting for the gig to start, the one word that came to mind was “earthy”. This may have something to do with the colour scheme and the various odd illustrations… It has a raw edge feel to it unlike other venues I’ve been to. It seems less polished, but not in a bad way. It’s quite a big room but not that big … There’s more →

Events: McGrattans Comedy Club Christmas Special

  By Amanda | December 13, 2011 - 9:00 am | Comedy
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Following on from their hugely succesful opening night where they raised over €700 for Electric Aid, McGrattans Comedy Club are back with a sterling cast of comedians and guess what? It’s all for charity once again! Once more the club have decided to give the proceeds to Electric Aid’s African Campaign. Your MC for the night is Mickey Noone, who writes some funny poetry… Ben Farrell returns for his second outing, he was that good the first time! Lisa Joyce is making her McGrattans debut, she may be small but has a big stage presence! Kevin Doyle will be tickling funny bones and pushing boundaries… Pat McDonnell of Father Ted fame will be making a special guest appearance! Support on the night is provided by Gary Lynch who likes to go to the edge, and jump off occasionally. Headline for the evening will be the brilliant Paul Tylak - this … There’s more →

Events: Dislike! A Facebook Guide to Crisis

  By Amanda | December 12, 2011 - 9:00 am | Comedy
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After a sold-out premiere at the Kilkenny Cat Laughs and sell out shows in Whelans, the Vodafone Comedy Carnival in Dublin and the Galway Comedy Festival, and a not-bad-sales-at-all-in-fairness and critical acclaim at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Colm O’Regan brings his hilarious show Dislike! A Facebook Guide to Crisis to the Project Arts Centre. Do you want to find out why Rapunzel has no stairs? The only real deterrent to grammatical errors in Facebook status updates? Or what to do if a billionaire developer threatens to sue you for defamation? You do? Then this show is for you! Critics love him….. Genuine Hilarity…upbeat charm…Like Chortle Effortless Talent, Funny, Informative and Resourceful **** The List Comic Genius, **** Deadpan with hilarious consequences - Irish Times Solicitors not so much it seems…”Went far beyond what is accepted as comedy” - Solicitor’s Letter. (No stars) Spend €12/€10 and make up your own mind! … There’s more →

Free Events: The Real Comedy Central Christmas Special

  By Amanda | December 8, 2011 - 9:00 am | Comedy
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Shane Hughes (you remember the one with the cheeky smile?) and John Sheehan (another excellent comedian) make up the Tullamore Titans. I cant take the credit for the nickname but I can tell you they have a comedy club down in Portlaoise . This month sees a cracking line up of guests for their Christmas special: Garry Elliott, Johnny Graham and Tomie James are joined by the headliner for the night Rory O’Hanlon. All you Dublin heads will know Rory, he is a regular at all the top comedy clubs and just back from his 3rd Edinburgh adventrure! MC for the night is Mr Shane Hughes, who I have to say may be new to this comedy thing, but is a very funny man. So if you’re based near Portlaoise - go and support this club and comedy night. If for nothing else, just to see who has the cheekiest grin…Shane or Tomie! … There’s more →