Married For 24 Years

From Live At The Apollo 2010

More Mike Wilmot videos

Canadian Mike Wilmot started life as stand-up comedian in 1995, becoming a regular on the UK circuit in 1998 and winning a Time Out comedy award in 2002.

He has appeared several times at Just For Laughs Comedy Festival in Montreal, as well as in Ireland, Scandinavia, Paris, Amsterdam, Hong Kong, Bangkok, South Africa and Melbourne - where he won the comedy festival's Barry award in 2003.

CV

Cat Laughs, Kilkenny: 2012 round-up
Live Review

The recession is certainly taking its toll on Kilkenny. Streets that have, in the past, run thick with bank holiday revellers seem notably quieter – at least in numbers. Bands sill pound out rock classics from what seems like dozens of bars in this tiny city, and those who are still out partying are in no less boisterous mood than ever.

The Cat Laughs comedy festival has cut its cloth to match. Only six venues are taking part this year to ensure each gig remains busy, while ticket prices have been reduced to fit the tougher climate.

But that’s good news for the comedy fan. On his UK tour Al Murray tickets are more than £25. Here, you can see him in an intimate theatre in a brilliant bill that also includes Jason Byrne, Colin Murphy and Mike Wilmot for just €20.

With hair and a beard, the Pub Landlord might look a little softer than usual, but in Ireland, his Little Englander has an extra frisson, those impish insults even more cheekily combative. Especially when the nation’s in hock to the Germans. But the teasing was as good natured as it was close-to-the-bone, and taken in reciprocal spirit. Seeing Murray work a tiny room, his internal put-down spreadsheet and spontaneous banter never less than devastatingly effective, is a treat that arena gigs can never replicate.

That compere Byrne also works in the moment added to the unique spontaneity of the night. He seizes on tiny oddities and magnifies them into rich comic seams that run through the night. Godsends such as the father and son in matching Coca-Cola T-shirts are exploited to the full, with Byrne creating more moments of unplanned silliness in one night than many comedians manage in a career.

Opening with Mike Wilmot is something of a risk, given the spicy flavour of his material. But despite some reservations in some quarters, his roguishly charming self-deprecation lubricates the harsher edges of routines about having his wife sit on his face, or about the times he shat himself in public. The disgusting images he evokes and his single-minded determination to push into areas that polite society would rather he wouldn’t raises the jeopardy, but he wins – usually – thanks the wittily honest descriptions of moments that remind us all of our base functions. And again he put in a loose performance, in keeping with the spirit of the show.

Colin Murphy was more rehearsed in his routine, and subsequently felt a little outclassed by his illustrious colleagues. Although in a late show the following night, he excelled, thanks to a more fluid approach that still landed the punches – plus the brilliant interaction with an American tourist who was certain she’d heard swearing on the Irish news, which prompted a hilarious recreation of what it might have been. Over the rest of his set he offered wry observations about the likes of phoney sports or Prince Charles reading the weather. The writing’s solid, but it’s the robust conviction of the delivery that pushes it through.

In another show, in the sizeable Langton’s Ballroom, relative newcomer Chris Kent held his own on a line-up of much more established colleagues. His routines drawn from his youthful everyday experiences such as youth hostelling could be a little tighter on the punchlines but he exudes a thoroughly engaging persona, with an appealing quirk to his storytelling that has you gripped. He knows how to spin a yarn and extract from the funny from any situation, which will surely establish him as a name to watch on the circuit.

His bill included David O’Doherty and Neil Delamere, both of whom demonstrated an evolution in their comedy. DOD barely touched his low-budget keyboard – save for the now obligatory Beefs 2012 song that brilliantly condenses bugbears into musical bites – while the stand-up traded in some whimsy for astute social observation, without loss to his immense likeability or good-humoured hilarity.

Delamere’s as sharp as I’ve seen him, adding more spike and punchlines to his amiable storytelling skills. Perhaps The Panel has sharpened his competitive streak, as he’s becoming more formidable the more famous he gets.

Sticking with the home-grown talent that forms the backbone of Cat Laughs, Gearoid Farrelly isn’t reinventing the wheel, blethering away with camp, gossipy charm. But charm there certainly is, even if you’ll remember the waspish attitude more than any material. Meanwhile, Des Bishop scored lots of home-advantage points with references as parochial as the Kilkenny Ring Road, plus wider observations about the Irish climate – although most of his energetic set concerned emigrants living the good life in Australia, and the unintended consequences of the visa system.

He concluded his show with a rap with Doc Brown, the unrehearsed nature of which meant he stomped on a couple of the Londoner’s punchlines, but the upbeat feelgood effect was unmistakable. For his own set, Brown excelled with a couple of expert comedy tunes – most notably the generic [Insert Name Here] which offered a nice twist on cliches. His stand-up – largely about being to middle-class to be a real rage-fuelled rapper – isn’t up to the standard of his rhymes, but enjoyable nonetheless.

Other Brits included Milton Jones with his beautifully twisted one-liners with their delayed-drop payoffs, Alex Horne being experimental if perhaps a bit too over-ambitious with a routine that involved miming to his own routine, and the childishly exasperated Josh Widdecombe. You often hear of the funniest joke of the festival, but he had the single funniest word – with a hilarious self-created portmanteau created while experimenting at Nando’s. Meanwhile, mild-mannered Welshman Lloyd Langford deftly handled one of the few tricky customers of the festival, quietly but effectively shutting down the disruptive element without raising his voice.

Finally, Australian comedy star Wil Anderson was devastatingly effective with his fast-paced stand-up. If some of it isn’t amazingly distinctive, his description of his personal approach to vegetarianism is, ironically enough, particularly delicious.

Anderson was one of only two intercontinental guests invited to play Cat Laughs – the other being the perennial Dom Irrera – despite its reputation for attracting global stand-up stars.

But times are tough. However, more than one comic told me that the pared-down nature of the 2012 festival reminded them of the event’s modest, ‘just for fun’ roots, and was all the better for it, with better-behaved audiences and a more friendly atmosphere. Seems like the festival can’t lose.

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I'm not one for reviewing stuff online, but having read some of the comments on here about Mike Wilmot being sexist and being negative about sex and women in general I feel I have to comment. For god's sake Mike is the target of all of his jokes, he's the failure, he's the one that can't get stuff right. Listen to what he's saying!! I for one think he's a genius.

Matt, June 2012

The worst act ever seen! My husband and I saw this buffoon ‘perform’ at the 02 Indigo Rooms on March 19, as the headline act. Why they made him the headline act, I can only think that it must be PITY. While you’re used to the odd swear word as part of a comedian's gig, this fool based his entire performance on swear words and making derogative remarks about women. The very first 10 minutes of his performance was spent using the C-word and went downhill from there. To say the least he lost half the crowd on his poor, sexist humour. It’s safe to say the comedians who have to use expletives and make sexual remarks for jokes show very poor ability for any skill or wit. If you removed the expletives from his gig all you would be left with are the words ‘hello’ and ‘goodnight’. Time this old-timer hung up his crusty suit and took his potty-mouth to church for his soul to be cleansed with a gallon of soap

Elle, March 2011

Currently watching this tired hack of a comedian rolling out poor uncomfortable disgusting humour that I genuinely feel sorry for him! This man should be put down along with everything else from the 70s!

Riley, September 2010

Saw Mike @ the Comedy Club in Greenwich, great stand up, totally hilarious, has the place in tears. He's one funny guy. His stand up is much better than his TV work. If you get a chance to see him do it. After his act he' s up for a beer with the crowd. A must see.

Brendan, March 2009

Nice to see him back gigging. He's got some new stuff as well which pretty good. The stuff about his wife's giant camel-toe is hilarious even if it is a bit graphic.

Ian Ashton, November 2008

One of the greatest comics around - playful, straightforward, insightful and effortless. He just gets better and better.

Alexis, June 2008

I saw Mike recently at The Comedy Store, he is still one of the funniest guys ever, his new material is an even funnier update of escapades of an older guy suffering the demands of sex.

D., May 2008

I saw Mike Wilmot's comedy live recently (I have previously seen him on TV) and he is not a good comedian at all. He only tries to disgust the audience by making them think negatively about sex. He constantly claims to be speaking for all men, whilst speaking only for himself and his nasty, self-centred and ambivalent feelings about sex and relationships - including the comment "its the only way you can get away with hitting your wife these days". I can imagine that he could put people off their partners if they took any of it on board. There is no warmth or wit in his act - only a desperate last-ditch attempt to draw laughs in the form of a nervous giggle from his audience. He really does nothing to deserve the platform of the stage - the only audience he deserves is the one he sees when he looks in the mirror.

AOD, May 2008

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