Dan's guide to: Stand-Up-Comedians
"In Ireland, where putting yourself down is a national pastime, the affable nerd is always popular"
A few weeks ago, I recommended a stand-up comedy night as the ideal first date activity. Ireland's stand-up comedy scene has never been bigger or more varied than it is at present, with several of our home-grown comedians ranked among the best in the world. This is my guide to the kinds of comedian you can expect to see.
The Rookie: It is generally accepted that stand-up comedy is an incredibly difficult trade to master. When it goes wrong, the results can be painful or inadvertently hilarious to watch. On a local mid-week stand-up bill, it's not unusual to see one comedian who's taking to the stage for the very first time. The candidates can typically range from the borderline clinically insane to the genuinely talented hopefuls. Common among them is the kind of guy that can make all his mates laugh down the pub, but who'll usually struggle when it comes to entertaining a room full of strangers.
The Oirish Comic: This type of comedian derives much of his humour from an examination of "Oirishness". You'll usually find material where he re-imagines how monumental historical events might have played out differently had the key players (such as Napoleon or Jesus) been Irish, the general gist being that they probably would have spent the entire time pissed, achieving very little.
The Affable Nerd: Having spent most of his early childhood being bullied from school to school, this type of comedian has learned to turn the spotlight on himself so that he can at least be in on the jokes about how socially and sexually ill-at-ease he is. In Ireland, where putting yourself and your achievements down is considered a national pastime, the affable nerd is always extremely popular.
The Shockmaster: It is a curious aspect of humour that we tend to laugh at things which make us uncomfortable or subjects that are considered taboo. This brand of comic will capitalise on this fact by constantly pushing the boundaries of what is considered acceptable comedy fodder. The Shockmaster will sometimes appear on The Late Late Show and RTE's phone lines will be jammed by a dozen or so disgruntled nutters calling for the comic's permanent banishment from our airwaves. Occasionally, the tabloids will also attack the Shockmaster, claiming that a recent gig turned sour when he finally went "too far" and half the audience stormed out. The reality is usually that a joke may or may not have bombed and a couple of punters decided to head to the bar for another drink.
The Female Comic: For some unknown reason (clearly not because they just aren't as funny), women have always found it more difficult to make it big in stand-up comedy. The ones that do manage to break through are usually well worth a watch.
The TV Star: Any gobshite can get his own show on RTE these days and for those lucky comedians that manage it, the results can be extremely lucrative. Punters like going to see familiar faces, so a stint on The Panel or even a guest appearance as a memorable character in Father Ted can guarantee a comic will draw larger audiences and get bumped up the card. Unfortunately, this can leave some comedy nights skewed towards familiar faces not talent and some stars get lazy with their act when they know they're guaranteed to pull a crowd.
Of course this is just a sample of the kinds of comedian you can expect to see on the Irish stand-up circuit. Keep an eye out for other categories of comedian such as "The Comic with a Conscience", the age-old but still ever-popular "Working Class Comic", and the less prevalent "Angry Guitar-Playing Comic". n askdan@independent.ie
- Dan
