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May 2010

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Jarlath Regan: Shock And Ahh!
Live Review

Jarlath Regan has had a tough year.  His wife was in hospital for the last 11 weeks of her first pregnancy and it was unclear whether she and their unborn son would survive.  It was an experience that prompted Regan to rethink his priorities – and that's hardly surprising.

His decision to form a Fringe show around this experience is surprising though. Not because comedy can't deal with serious issues... it's often at its best when it does just that.  The problem lies with Regan's inability to describe this ordeal in an engaging fashion. It's hideously ungenerous to say it, but why should a Fringe audience who've paid money for comedic entertainment be prepared to listen instead to an awful account of a harrowing near tragedy?

It's clear that Regan wants to suggest his tale provides lessons for all of us.  But he's either not skilled enough to pull it off or he's too traumatised by his experience to recognise that his message is a mixture of platitudinous self-pity and screamingly obvious musings about the fragility of life.  It doesn't help that he's still so affected by what happened that he becomes visibly emotional at the close of the show, as it only appears to provide evidence that he was unwise to use his family's medical drama as the basis of comedy.

Before this sentimental conclusion Regan describes how, against his better instincts, he accepted a position as comedian in a children’s programme in Ireland.  Many of his complaints about this experience sound like they should have been aimed in the direction of a friend.  Not just any friend... but a remarkably tolerant one prepared to listen to the self-indulgent bleating of a man who imagined that he'd be given a free rein to do what he wanted.  On being told that the producers kept ignoring all of Regan's ideas, perhaps that friend would be able to gently suggest maybe those ideas weren't as great as he thought they were.

Before he became bogged down in the quagmire of his own major and minor tragedies, Regan offered some amusing ruminations on the nature of nationalism and, in particular, the extraordinary way his compatriots got behind X Factor pop duo Jedward's attempt to win the Eurovision Song Contest.  His description of his father-in-law's fervour offered a funny insight into the way in which patriotism can be stoked in the most unlikely fashion.

Regan draws a little laughter from his suggestion that ITV's Saturday night show Take Me Out is evidence of life's cruelty in the 21st Century but his description of it lacks any kind of penetrative analysis and he resorts to a reduction of Take Me Out's lack coarseness, which is as crass as anything you might expect to see on the programme itself.  It had been lazily written and never rose above the level of comedy you might hear at the water cooler from the a colourful character in your company's accounts department.

The most frustrating aspect of this show is that Jarlath Regan is clearly capable of more.  A few years ago, he seemed to be a comedian on the up and up and his decision to bring a personal dimension to his set could have yielded a quite remarkable outcome.  Instead his comedy is mired in indulgent self-reflection and a stultifying sentimentality.

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I loved Jarlath's show Shock and Ahh! and he got a standing ovation the night I went to see it. It is a funny and personal show. He interacts with the crowd and makes people feel comfortable contributing to the show, this is very rare in a comedian. His quick observations on a participants stories are funny and smart. I would definitely recommend people go see this show. I completely disagree with this review.

G, August 2011

Shock and Ahh! Is a funny and uplifting show and deserves more than your cruel ramblings. I would highly recommend this show. Chortle seem to give poor reviews for the sake of it.

Patricia, August 2011

Jarlath's current show - "Not So Common Sense" - is an excellent way of spending an hour in the company of a comedian who will charm you and entertain you in equal measure. Do not miss his show!

Peter McLanachan, August 2010

Don't agree with this review. he's a very very funny gentleman... perhaps he doesn't raise the roof but he's very witty nonetheless, something which this review overlooks!

debbie blandford, April 2009

Another example of this Chortle reviewer bloke being a clueless twat... Jarlath is brilliant!

Vince G, October 2008

I saw this guy the other night. Thought he was deadly. He didn't do any mean jokes, just nicely observed well-written jokes and a sweet child abduction card that made me cry with laughter. He's a natural. Five stars.

Berti Ahhmmmm, November 2007

It's difficult to dislike Jarlath, the smooth-tongued Irish comic who bounces on stage to a film of him running to the venue; then coolly takes the mic and relaxes into his own brand of cute, often whimsical humour. So over the next hour or so we get a laid-back lay-in to the usual topics: difficulties in keeping down a job, greater difficulties in keeping up a relationship, enormous difficulties of his country folk in keeping off the booze. Like many fine comedians, he holds his own before technical hiccups; like many less-fine comedians he's not averse to the odd gimmick (handing out lollies, displaying newspapers to play up topical material, holding up greeting cards as both chapter titles and excuses to camp up gags on tired topics such as chat-up lines). Because ultimately, Jarlath's a nice guy. So's Frank Bough. Don't get me wrong, I love a comic with a refreshingly positivistic approach. It got family laughs for Eric Morcambe, appreciative laughs for Dawn French, belly-laughs for Eddie Izzard. But for Jarlath all it's getting is half-hearted laughs and a possible invite for a slice of cake round your place after the show. We don't need bile, we do need passion. And the conviction he'll find out what that is... Next time, perhaps.

Michael Monkhouse, September 2007

Jar is hurtling toward greatness. He's a joy to watch.

Honest Joe, June 2006

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