Dara O Briain
Date of birth: 04-02-1972His show won best theatre tour in the 2008 Chortle awards.
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Dara O Briain: So... Where Were We?
Review of the now former Mock The Week host on tour
Given its seismic global impact, it’s no surprise that the Covid pandemic simulated so much stand-up, good and bad. For Dara O Briain, lockdown’s shrinking horizons compelled him to look inward for inspiration, writing a more personal show than he’s ever presented before.
Few middle-aged Irishmen wear their hearts on their sleeve – when sober, at least – and O Briain isn’t going to start putting his audience through the emotional wringer. Nevertheless, in So... Where Were We? he draws us in with a compelling story with non-trivial stakes and which touches heavily on some of the more shameful aspects of Ireland’s recent past. But that’s a background, not the main thrust of the narrative, which is more like Kafka played out as sitcom.
It marks a change of tone for a comic known for a machine-gun delivery. Yet the greater the investment, the heartier the laughs whenever he punctuates the drama with a witty, self-aware joke – more often than not at his own expense. So while the detailed story that dominates the second half might not be what you expect from the jovial panel show host, its skilfully unfolding narrative will have you hooked.
And there’s plenty of the gaggier O Brian on offer before the interval, flaunting his lightning-quick wit as he whips across the front row, making sharp quips from the scantest of information. Most comics might back away from ‘working in IT’ as a dull response to the ‘what do you do?’ query, but a single follow-up question yields enough information for an imaginatively silly riff.
He may be cheekily mean about his fans, but he’s even sharper when sending himself up. Turning 50, the frailties of his body have never been more evident, the universe’s constant reminder never to get too much above one’s status as a bunch of decaying cells in human form.
So he’ll merrily mock the weaknesses that strip him of the dignity he professes to hold dear (even if viewers of Taskmaster might already be aware that ship has sailed). A knee operation meant he spent last summer with a walking stick that fell short of the dandyish cane he’d hoped for, and led to a demeaning trip to Alton Towers on a mobility scooter. Later he recalls a biological anomaly that’s been with him since birth.
Even the offer of a freebie after hosting a bathroom and kitchen awards bash ends up with the self-effacing comic demeaning himself.
Ever aware of the circumstances in the room, O Briain sometimes makes a play of stepping out of his material to offer commentary on it, such as noting the subdued ‘Wednesday night in Basingstoke’ vibes of this show.
But if anyone can celebrate the mundanities of a Wednesday night in Basingstoke, even while painting on a broader canvas, it’s the ever-affable, every-quick O Briain.
• Dara O Briain: So... Where Were We? is touring until June. Dara O Briain tour dates.
Published: 27 Oct 2022
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Description
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Products
DVD (2015)
Dara O Briain: Crowd Tickler
DVD (2012)
Dara O Briain: Craic Dealer - Live 2012
DVD (2010)
Dara O Briain Live 2010
Book (2009)
Dara O Briain: Tickling The English
DVD (2008)
Dara O Briain Talks Funny
DVD (2007)
Mock The Week: Too Hot ForTV
DVD (2006)
Dara O'Briain:
Past Shows
Agent
We do not currently hold contact details for Dara O Briain's agent. If you are a comic or agent wanting your details to appear here, for a one-off fee of £59, email steve@chortle.co.uk.