COMEDIAN Ardal O’Hanlon performed at the Gaiety Theatre last night (Tuesday) on the first date of his tour of the British Isles.
Our isleofman.com correspondent was there to bring you a full review of his performance.
First, a confession.
In attending comedian Ardal O’Hanlon’s show at the Gaiety Theatre on Tuesday night I committed a cardinal sin. I was drawn to the event not by my knowledge of his stand-up routine but simply because I wanted to see, in the flesh, the man who played a truly great sitcom character.
I think for some my age – certainly for me – Father Dougal McGuire, the dim-witted sidekick of Craggy Island’s resident hopeless priest Father Ted, was the Manuel (Fawlty Tower’s Spanish waiter) of our generation, a brilliant comic creation who will be long remembered (Father Ted ended in May 1998 and yet the catchphrases and main characters remain well-known).
So that’s my confession – I went to see Ardal O’Hanlon not for his gag-telling prowess but because he played a funny character on TV. It is a terrible admission but the fact I wasn’t familiar with his stand-up also meant I went into the show with no preconceptions.
It has to be said his routine suffered in places during the first 45 minutes. It was the first date on his tour of the British Isles, and it felt as if some of the material was being tested out, and some wouldn’t make it to the next venue.
He ran through safe territory for a comedian - budget airlines, Catholic priest controversies, the weather at his Dublin home, politics and the economic problems.
The theme, although it was never fully developed, was that we have to remain positive in adversity and always look for the good things in life however small – like a hotel which offers to turn down your bed.
At times it felt like he was running through a checklist of stand-up punchlines, ticking off David Cameron, the Pope and Ryanair as he went, and some of it just fell flat. However, there were plenty of laugh-out-loud moments in the first half, more than enough to make up for any duds, which I expect will be cut from later performances.
O’Hanlon is such an endearing, "nice" person you find yourself willing him to find his pace and hit the mark. He’s the sort of charming comic you’ll forgive a few flat lines.
He’s been in the business a long time and it showed as he dished out some Isle of Man-based banter and, unlike some visiting comedians, he didn’t rely on outdated stereotypes of the Manx to raise a laugh.
Instead he did a little research and worked not only the recent headlines about drunken violence into his act but also a reference to the new-look bus timetable which has caused so much fury.
After the interval O’Hanlon was back on stage and it was like a different show. This half was about becoming a dad - dealing with a pregnant wife, attending the birth, coping with the idiotic questions which follow a new arrival (why DOES it matter what weight the baby is, he pondered, after all when someone dies no one asks for the weight of the corpse), shifting from the apple of your kids’ eyes to an idiot they resent and the relationship with your own parents.
It was hilarious, as my aching face muscles will testify.
O’Hanlon was on comfortable ground with proper observational and deeply personal comedy that many in the audience clearly identified with. Unlike the first half this was a strong routine and as the laughter grew so did his pace and confidence which brought even more laughter.
Even some of his journeys into the surreal, which had felt a little uncomfortable in the first half, suddenly made sense and were genuinely funny – not least his closing "advice", revealing how to escape the shadowy assailant who is DEFINITELY after you.
In age-old tradition, O’Hanlon returned to the stage to deliver another 10 minutes, this time revealing why the English are upbeat and positive but us Celts are always expecting the worse (it’s all down to fairy tales apparently).
Leaving the Gaiety I felt fully entertained, despite the earlier reservations. I hope O’Hanlon returns to the Island at the end of this tour when his whole routine is as tight as that wonderful second half.
What did you think of Ardal O'Hanlon? Let us know by leaving a comment below.
