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Latest items? Unedited? Fringe Report Uncut
Dara O Briain
Verdict: Charm and intellect
The queue for Dara O'Briain's stand-up comedy show stretches from the Assembly Rooms right along George Street and down Hanover Street - around 500 people. He's recently had surgery, so comes on with a crutch. Not, he points out, a comedy prop.
Dara O'Briain's topics tonight include London stoicism following bombs ('Oh my God, there's a bomb on the Piccadilly Line. Oh well, I'm on the Vicoria Line / I've got to buy a kettle, fuck the terrorists'); Irish people in the audience (he's of Irish origin); terrorists in Ireland and England; the Milky Bar Kid, and how he differs from Milk Tray Man; the Edinburgh Tattoo; and the 47 things he hates. These are wide ranging, taking in the iPod with photos, consequences of Moore's Law (computers get twice as powerful, half as expensive, every 18 months), extreme hair gel, online poker.
'I'm 33', he says, and describes himself as 'a fat comedian' who lives in Hounslow, London. He muses on changes in Ireland and how Irish people 'mythologise about ourselves' compared to the reality: 'There's a lot more fucking baguettes'. 'All fresh jokes stopped in the 80s' he says. There's a joke about Elton John 'seeing a little of himself in Billy Elliott'.
Max from Staffordshire comes on stage to undergo a killer handshake trick. There's rapport with the audience - one is given a notebook to write down new jokes; many are regulars each year and recognised. Dara O'Briain greets the youngest audience member - baby Paige, who is two and a half.
Dara O'Briain is a tall, well-built and good-looking man - an imposing presence. He's immaculately dressed in a suit and open-necked shirt. It's said that fast speech-rate means super-intelligence - President Kennedy could apparently speak at 350 words per minute against most people's 150. Dara O'Briain speaks extremely fast, whether on prepared or off-the-cuff material, and the range of topics is wide.
But although his very-much-above-average intelligence is obvious, he doesn't speak down to the audience. This combination - and his easy-going charm - may well be part of his remarkable appeal to audiences, tonight's included.
Credits: Written and Performed - Dara O Briain. Technical Operator - Venue Staff.
END
John Park
reviewed Tuesday 9 August 05 / Assembly Rooms Music Hall
Fringe Report (c) Fringe Report 2002-2012
www.fringereport.com
