Those of you who were anywhere near the centre of London last weekend were probably aware of the St Patrick’s Day celebrations in Trafalgar Square. Alongside the parade, food stalls and music events on the main stage, the London Irish Comedy Festival once again put together a free afternoon of some of the best emerging and established Irish comedic talent. Watching other people in summer clothes enjoying the day’s celebrations out in the sunshine and fresh air, I hoped sitting in a packed tent all afternoon would be worth it. I wasn’t left disappointed.
Funny Women Awards 2013 semi-finalist Christiane O’Mahony was one of the day’s most unexpected treats, with her own brand of musical comedy – featuring a harp! Her whimsical take on meditation tapes had the audience in stitches, but my personal highlight was a musical number about the challenges of supermarket shopping for one. As a single lady myself, it’s doubtful that I’ll ever look at value-pack ham again, but I’ll certainly keep an eye out for her future gigs.
But my personal highlight of the day had to be Aisling Bea. Despite being one of my favourite female comics, her material is always fresh and original enough to keep me captivated every time I see her. Arriving onstage dressed in a ‘tracksedo’ (Google it) and more Irish-themed fancy dress items than you could shake a stick at, her material trod the line between astutely observational and wonderfully silly without missing a beat. Her set included a one-woman play of St Patrick’s story – featuring sound effects from an unwitting audience member, a cameo from Frigid St Bridget and a comically-wavering Welsh accent (turns out St Patrick’s not as Irish as we all thought – who knew?)
And of course, the day featured some funny men too – Christiane and Aisling were ably supported by a stellar lineup. It’s difficult to pick favourites, but Jarleth Regan’s set – which provided a wonderfully original and offbeat look at parenting and having an ‘original’ name – was an sure-footed hit with the entire audience, and Damian Clark’s self-effacing, laid back humour drew in a huge crowd early on in the day.
Despite the impressive standard of the comics themselves, the real triumph of the London Irish Comedy Festival was it's accessibility – the tent remained busy all from start to finish with a mix of comedy fans, groups of friends, families and tourists who’d just wandered in but seemed to be having lots of fun. Those of us who feel passionately about the material itself, however, weren’t left feeling short-changed – the balance of personalities and material was programmed to perfection, and not a single act disappointed. Hats off to the Festival for using one of London’s most-loved events to give a platform to some of the best comedians on the circuit, both in Ireland and the UK.
Isabel Dixon
@isabel_dixon
​Pictured: Aisling Bea, Christiane O'Mahony
