Top Irish stand-up comedian Conal Gallen brings his first ever comedy play, A Bit On The Side, to theatres across Ireland.
Conal and his son Rory began writing the comedy play three years ago and finally finished it in April of this year. The play was launched on August 7 to a sold out audience at the Balor Theatre, Ballybofey, finishing to a standing ovation.
Due to massive success and fantastic reviews, there have been four extra nights added to the Balor Theatre at the end of August which have also been selling out fast.
The play is coming to the Town Hall Theatre Galway for one night only on Thursday September 5 at 8pm. Early booking is strongly advised with the high demand for tickets.
Conal has said that he is absolutely over the moon with the reaction to the first performance, and cannot wait to hit the road at the end of August. “There is no better feeling than arriving to do a show to a full house, and by the way theatres are already booking, the whole tour could be sold out in advance.”
He usually does his stand up comedy show in the Waterfront Hall, Belfast, but this time around he is taking the play to the Grand Opera House. “It will be my first time to perform in the Grand Opera House, and I am looking forward to it. It will suit the play perfectly,” says Conal.
The Donegal comic has already established one of the most successful touring circuits for any Irish comedian. He has been selling out theatres across the country for the past eight years, breaking box office records.
This play is a must see for all comedy fans. Tickets for shows are already selling fast, and the tour doesn’t begin until August 28. “I have been mentioning during my stand up shows that I will be back in town in Autumn with the play. Everyone I speak with after the shows have been telling me that they can’t wait to see it. It is very exciting,” says Conal. “The cast are really looking forward to the tour as well. This is just one exciting project in a long list that I have been working hard to complete. Now the fun starts, rehearsals are over, and it’s on to the live performances.”
As Conal says himself, “To do this play, I really had to sit back and make the decision to step back from my live stand up shows. This was a hard decision to make; I have spent a long time, working very hard, building up my stand–up tour. It has been my bread and butter all my life. To take a break from this to pursue the comedy play is a major risk. For it to be as successful as my stand-up comedy career, I have to give the play 100 per cent of my time and effort.”
When asked what his audiences should expect from the play A Bit On The Side, he replied: “ This is not a real deep, meaningful, hard thinking, or clever play. It is just fun. The original working title was I Suppose It Would Be Out Of The Question!, so that should give you some idea of how deep and meaningful it is. Imagine that you’ve had a real bad day or bad week. At the end of it all, you don’t need to go and see something that leaves you scratching your head, wondering what it’s about. Light hearted fun is what’s required and that is exactly what A Bit On The Side is all about. It’s just a laugh from start to finish.”
A Bit On The Side will arrive at the Town Hall Theatre Galway on Thursday September 5. Tickets for the night are €25 and are available online at www.tht.ie
