Ardal O'Hanlon's support act is Australian comic, Kitty Flanagan, a regular at the London Comedy Store and most recently seen in her own show at the Pleasance during the Edinburgh Festival. Her humour can only really be described as cruel - but in a very funny way. Her targets include students, the north of England, British stereotypes and foreign languages - observed in the way only a non-National could get away with. If you're looking for gentle PC gags, then stay in the bar. But as Kitty Flanagan's set is rather brief at just 25 minutes, you won't have to stay there long.

The Concert Hall at Reading's Town Hall is an acoustic nightmare for stand up comedy. This means Kitty Flanagan's nasal antipodean accent is terribly distorted. Many of her subtle asides were simply lost in an echo.

Ardal O'Hanlon seems to handle the reverb a little better when he takes to the stage at 8:50pm - his voice carrying better in the large hall. He is dressed casually in a loose shirt and jeans, and his hair has been tightly cropped

He has done his homework about this date on the tour, and makes cultural references to Reading and the surrounding Bracknell and Wokingham. He warns that he will mostly be talking about his kids tonight - and although he does tell us much about his offspring, he covers so much other ground that a complete list would be very lengthy.

Ardal O'Hanlon pokes fun at his own cultural background - religion and the Irish mistrust of foreigners. He explains the good thing about Polish immigration is that he has 'now managed to fill up the XYZ section of his address book'. He talks about relationships and growing old and saying the right thing to your wife. There is, apparently, no safe way to say 'I love you' without starting an argument.

He is, so he tells us, becoming less circumspect as he gets older. He says what he thinks of naff Christmas presents, his policies in restaurants and that he now saves bubble wrap. He also explains the life cycle of pyjamas. It is cut-throat comedy delivered inoffensively by a man who knows how to work a room.

Finishing at just after 10pm, Ardal O'Hanlon gives a full hour-and-ten-minutes of solid gags. Definitely good value.

Credits: Written and performed by - Ardal O'Halan. Supported by - Kitty Flanagan. Technical Manager - Rick Bull. Stage Manager - Justin Patient.

END

(c) Pete Shaw 2007

reviewed Thursday 11 October 07 / The Concert Hall, Reading

Fringe Report's Reading Comedy Festival 07 coverage is organised and edited by Gill Smith.

Fringe Report (c) Fringe Report 2002-2008