Summer seems to have finally arrived (Hallelujah!) and with the sunny season comes another host of comedic delights! This fortnight sees, among others, the Chatty Man himself – Alan Carr – embark on an arena tour of Ireland and the UK, which includes a double stop-off in none other than the People’s Republic.

You probably know Carr primarily from his Channel 4 show, whereby he takes a leaf out of Graham Norton’s smutty book (with hilarious consequences, it must be said). But Carr (who has a degree in Drama and Theatre Studies) is first and foremost a stand-up comedian, and this Summer, he embarks on a mammoth 33-date tour. He’ll start the Irish leg with two nights at the Cork Opera House on May 25 and 26. Keep your eyes peeled on Laughlines for future Irish dates.
He has less distance to travel, but we love him just the same – Dubliner Jason Byrne brings his Cirque Du Byrne show to Vicar St. on May 21. Probably less ‘cirque’ and more ‘Byrne’ if truth be told, this comedian is known for his love of audience participation, so only sit up front if you’re feeling brave.
Speaking of making a holy show of yourself in front of a very large crowd of people, this fortnight also sees hypnotist and magician Keith Barry take to the stage! Even if being hypnotised and making out with a chair (you heard me) doesn’t appeal to you, Keith’s show – The Asylum – is seriously impressive nonetheless. During the course of the night, he’ll read minds, memorise books, and recount creepy tales of old Irish mental institutions. Catch him in Limerick’s University Hall on May 19.
Up north next, where this fortnight’s Hoot Press interviewee Patrick Combs brings his one man show Man 1, Bank 0 to Donegal’s Balor Theatre, kickstarting an 18-date tour of the country. Combs lodged a fake cheque to his bank account in 1995, and managed to keep the cash. A tip of the cap, Sir...
Back to Dublin now, for An Audience With Michael Palin. Here, the Monty Python legend, globe-trotter and documentarian will recount tales from his many travels and books, as part of the Dublin Writers’ Festival. Catch this sure-to-be enthralling show at the National Concert Hall on May 25.
Elsewhere, charity event LOL for Temple Street takes place in Vicar St. on May 20, and will feature live performances from (deep breath) Dara O Briain, Hector O’hEochagain, Maeve Higgins, David O’Doherty, Jarlath Regan, Dermot Whelan, Fred Cooke, Eric Lalor and Eleanor Tiernan. Grumpy Old Women continues its run in the Cork Opera House on May 19, INEC Killarney (20) and Mayo’s TF Royal Theatre (21). Tommy Tiernan brings Crooked Man to the Ulster Hall on June 1, and Des Bishop’s My Dad Was Nearly James Bond is at the Cork Opera House on May 20,