IT'S AGONY FOR AMSTELL
It's remarkable to think that the Kilkenny Cat Laughs Comedy Festival is regarded as being one of the top four events on the planet. It sits right behind Montreal, Edinburgh and Melbourne but some purists and comedians alike actually place the Irish five-day get-together higher than the current billing.
Irish audiences are to credit for this, alongside our reputation on the global scene for producing some of the funniest men and women alive. But the crucial element to the June bank holiday laughathon is the many intimate locations that host the huge array of acts. Kilkenny easily attracts the biggest names around and this year one of the biggest names making the annual pilgrimage is former Never Mind The Buzzcocks presenter Simon Amstell.
In preparation for his shows on the banks of the River Nore, Amstell took his new routine to Vicar Street last week and Shuffle got a frontrow seat. The gay Jewish comic has made a career out of slating wannabe celebs and D-Listers on NMTB for the last six years.
He also managed several walkoffs on his show thanks to his uniquely patronisingly acerbic quick wit. But if you are expecting that kind of humour from his stand up then you will be disappointed.
Numb, Amstell's new show, takes a sometimes-bleak look at his life right now and while he is hilarious throughout, the overriding thoughts of pity are present from start to finish. He is intelligent, witty and is far funnier than most of the acts floating around these
days, but he is definitely an acquired taste. His tales of trying to find love, losing love, his relationship with his dad, losing his virginity at 21, his relationship with his school pals and his relationship with life all play out in an hour long show that will leave you slightly confused.
Don't get me wrong, the 32-year-old made us all laugh lots throughout but you shouldn't go to a comedy gig and leave feeling sorry for the act. It doesn't take long to realise that his character in BBC2's comedy drama Grandma's House is exactly like the real Simon Amstell. So if you like that show then you will love this. But if you don't - it's hard to recommend.The poster for the show describes him as 'painfully honest'. I couldn't have said it better myself.
Luckily for traditional comedy lovers there is way more than just Amstell on the bill in three weeks time. The best names from Ireland, the UK, the US, Canada and Australia are all arriving in too. Home grown talent in the form of Des Bishop, Neil Delamere, Colin
Murphy, Barry Murphy, Karl Spain, Chris Colm O'Regan, and Gearoid Farrelly are all confirmed.
But you can expect the biggest crowds for madcap ginger Jason Byrne and the man-of-the-moment David O'Doherty who are both kickstarting their latest material in the city that weekend. Devised in Japan (I'm not lying) and invented to liven up the drudgery of the classic office presentation, DOD and his friends Pecha Kucha has become a global sensation and their gig in Langton's on June 3 at 5.30pm is one of the most in-demand shows of the year. Participants have just 400 seconds to present their topic of choice.
Jack Dee and Al Murray are the big names from across the Irish Sea coming in for the festival.
Tickets for the Cat Laughs Comedy Festival 2012 are on sale now! For full details on the line-up, tickets and venue information visit www.thecatlaughs.com
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