Melbourne International Comedy Festival review

If you’ve never seen Dan Tiernan before, it might be hard to believe this new show, premiering at Melbourne, is his least intense to date. 

The comic exudes an unstable, unhinged energy, a frustrated tinderbox ready to explode, creating a palpable tension in the room which he exploits as he prowls the audience, seeking to intimidate. When he reveals he suffered a psychotic episode last year, no one doubts him. 

Yet the explosions are controlled, the level of discomfort carefully measured. And, he assures us – not immediately convincingly  – that he has found inner peace in recent months thanks to the healing power of crystals. 

Coming out as being into this woo-woo was more difficult than coming out as gay, he says. And gradually, as he speaks about the cleaning and recharging ​rituals (which, ironically, stress him out) it becomes clear that he is entirely serious that he believes that these crystals are  the route to zen. He gets something from it, and is it any more weird than mainstream religions, he asks?

His crowd work is hugely impressive, but not in the ‘what do you do, mate?’ way. He gets into fevered debate with another crystal devotee in the audience, flirts shamelessly with blokes in the front row and accuses many people of trying to derail the show.

It’s not always cleanly, immediately funny, but he seeks to create  a deliberate bumpy energy, in which no one is ever fully sure where things are going to go. But he will land it on something hilarious in the end, having more impact for the route we took. The to-and-fro also keeps him on the back foot, a battler getting enraged as the universe in general and this gig in particular conspire to make his life miserable.

The low status is underlined by his lack of sexual success, and a number of grubby tales – including a brilliant one about T-shirts too filthy to repeat here. A story of having his phone pinched – and being without access to all its distractions for a week – provides a narrative backbone to the show, and a few Australian-specific gags to reinforce the point.

But the main story is of a man trying to control his demons. Even with some level of success, he remains a wild presence – and a compelling one.

• Dan Tiernan: Quartz And All will be on at Monkey Barrel during the Edinburgh Fringe

Review date: 19 Apr 2026
Reviewed by: Steve Bennett
Reviewed at: Melbourne International Comedy Festival