Jarlath Regan – Man of Very Little Mystery is a charming hour of comedy delivered in flawless fashion by a supremely confident performer. The theme of the show is the confusion caused by the credit crunch and how none of life's little certainties seem to hold true any more. The Irish comedian cheerfully admits that he has never been wealthy and that the financial gloom has simply 'levelled the playing field' for him.

In a truly life-affirming show, he urges people to look for the little things which give them joy. In his case this can be anything from puns in shop names - an Edinburgh bookie called Macbet for example – to spotting examples of excessively macho behaviour while visiting Australia. He partly blames the media for the panic which led to the current grim economic conditions and queries their motives. He cites Sky News interviewing rapper LL Cool J about the credit crunch as a nadir of responsible journalism, and lands a few well-aimed comedic punches on a number of world leaders.

He examines the role that alcohol plays in helping people to forget their troubles and his comparison of male and female nights-out is beautifully realised. His material - excepting a slightly weak segment about the film Wolverine - is nicely-observed, and the pace of the show is well-judged. He also has a talent for easy repartee, continually asking questions and illiciting responses but never in a bullying or emabarrassing manner.

Jarlath Regan is not afraid to use personal material in his show and admits that the theme was inspired by a particularly dark time in his life when his career was going nowhere. This period culminated in a disastrous prison gig which 'stayed with him like the death of Goose in Top Gun'. An unlikely role as Santa Claus put a stop to the confusion in his life and, in a closing monologue which might sound mawkish coming from someone less sincere, he insists that the confusing times will end for everybody. At the end of the day, he says, anything is possible and we 'just need to keep the things we need and lose the things we don't'. Certainly anything seems possible with Jarlath Regan - sure to put a smile on the stoniest face.

Cast Credits: Performer - Jarlath Regan.

Company Credits: Writer - uncredited. Director - uncredited. Technical Operator - uncredited. Producer - uncredited. Company - Lisa Richards & EdCom. Website - www.edcom9.com.

END

(c) David Hepburn 2009

reviewed Wednesday 12 August 09 / Gilded Balloon Teviot, Edinburgh UK

Fringe Report (c) Fringe Report 2002-2012

www.fringereport.com