A Nonsense Of Ireland

Note: This review is from 2001

Review by Steve Bennett

Kevin and Anne Gildea's romp through Irish life is great craic, pure and simple.

It's a very loosely structured show, that's for sure, which provides plenty of opportunities for these talented, confident and phenomenally quick-witted comics to toss off brilliant, spontaneous one-liners and truly engage the audience.

They both seem to be having a fabulous time, and that unbridled, old-fashioned sense of fun quickly spreads throughout a willing audience.

There's shameless mugging - thanks in no small part to the most terrifically amateurish stage beard sported by Kevin - good-natured crowd-baiting and fantastically sharp improvising, and it's almost a shame when the pair reluctantly return to the script.

But the rehearsed stuff is not without its pleasures too, as Kevin (in character, such as it is, as Old Fuddy-Duddy) reminisces and Anne, from The Nualas, regales us with a highly suspect look at the culture and language of the old country, including some of her own distinctly amusing poetry.

This breath of fresh Eire could be one of the finest Irish exports since Guinness - and produces a similar state of inebriated happiness, only without any unpleasant side-effects the morning after.

A fabulously entertaining hour, whether you're Irish or not.

Review date: 1 Jan 2001
Reviewed by: Steve Bennett

We see you are using AdBlocker software. Chortle relies on advertisers to fund this website so it’s free for you, so we would ask that you disable it for this site. Our ads are non-intrusive and relevant. Help keep Chortle viable.