On cats

From Live At The Apollo 2011

More Ed Byrne videos

Ed Byrne: Crowd Pleaser
Live Review

Crowd-pleaser is a double-edged sword. For a comedian, that’s pretty much the job description, but it’s not breaking any secrets to admit us critics often use it in a more backhanded way, to suggest an act who’s pressing the audience’s buttons but doesn’t do much creatively.

Well, Ed Bryne’s new offering is definitely a Ronseal show. But does it do what it says in the title with easy, unchallenging, observational shtick? Well, yes, a bit – but there’s also humour here that transcends the comfortable origins of the material.

Much of the show revolves around just three things that he has: a wife, a baby son and a pet cat. This is about as domestic as you can get, yet he manages to see new things in these much-analysed, universal topics. His take on the was his Missus demands household chores be done might not push the envelope, but he finds a nice hook on which to hang it all, while the routine about why we like cats more than people, unpromising as that premise might seem, actually produces a virtuoso routine even non-cat owners will identify with.

Babies are often seen as the creative kiss of death for comedians, and indeed Byrne’s talk of his seven-month-old is all puke, shit and piss – although he focussing on the pressure with which these secretions are emitted, rather than their foul content, so it doesn’t feel as if we’ve heard this particular angle before.

Yes, sometimes he doesn’t try too hard. After all, he gets a laugh by saying ‘Piers Morgan, who’s a cock…’ so why struggle for left-field insight? Some of the vaguely topical pieces about the Coalition government and the Irish attitude to immigration seem a little mundane, and he perhaps oversells a weird encounter with the now-dead Star Trek actor Paul Wingfield.

This comes as part of a section where he flaunts his nerd credentials – nerd as in liking sci-fi and video games, rather than actually understanding science – and there’s a nice flourish to the way he teases fellow geeks in the audience with the pedantry he knows they are feeling.

Talking of which, he applies such finicky principles to a T-shirt he saw a young teenager wearing – the second routine about age-inappropriate clothing he spotted in an airport in as many shows; but just as funny as the first.

Crowd Pleaser doesn’t have the benefit of the same strong, central theme that his last tour Different Class was built around; but it’s founded on robustly solid routines, with enough smart flourishes to avoid the predictable. You will be entertained.

Skip to page: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7

Ed did an amazing set at Headliners. He's just on top form right now and all new stuff too.

Ali, May 2006

Get some new material that doesnt involve smoking or sex - gets so dull after 10 years

Kate JJ, May 2006

I remember Ed in his really early days and saw him last year. His material has definitely moved on and improved. Ignore the adverts, see the show.

Daniel Gray, May 2006

Saw Ed for the first time on his tour last year and have never laughed so much in my life,it was continuous throughout the whole show, the audience loved him, extremely witty man and absolutely charming with it

Sookie, March 2006

Without a shadow of a doubt, Ed, is the funniest person I have ever seen

Ed, February 2006

I saw Ed recently in Chamonix. A small bar advertised a comedy night. We werent expecting much but when this guy came on we cried with laughter for 30 minutes. Everyday stuff with 15 punchlines. You must go and see him.

Matthew, February 2006

If this guy hasnt made it by now, he's not going too. Saw him in Brighton and he is still doing the same routine as eight years ago. He clearly doesnt have anything more interesting to write about.

Mike, October 2005

I went with friends to see Ed in Brighton at the weekend and I think he's brilliant! his observations of life's little annoyances are bang on the money and he had the entire audience in stitches.

Sarah Chaney, October 2005

Skip to page: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7