TODAY MARKS Day 3 of the Vodafone Comedy Carnival and tonight sees the opening of the Spiegeltent, the centrepiece of festivities. The Eyre Square box office is similarly active. So, all systems go for the biggest comedy event this city has yet seen.
The carnival always offers up a few unusual shows and this year is no exception. There is a full suite of comedy events taking place on Bob’s Blundabus, a converted ex-London double decker bus parked in Eyre Square, beside the Spiegeltent. The host is Bob Slayer and all shows are ‘Pay What You Want’ or reserve your seat for €5 from the Spiegeltent box office in the kiosk in Eyre Square.
Although tickets are flying out as quickly as comedians are flying in, a host of brilliant shows are still available. Catch the sharpest dressed man in Irish comedy, Al Porter, fresh from hosting TV3’s Blind Date, MCing the Irish Comedian of the Year Grand Final on Monday (Spiegeltent, 3.30pm ); performing as gaeilge at GaelGairi Club Grinn (today, An Taibhdhearc, 7pm ); and playing the Spiegeltent with his full band, The Sugarcubes (Saturday, 3.30pm ).
Reginald D Hunter is also on his way. He is no stranger to Galway and like a fine wine is only improving with age. There are still tickets available for his show in the Spiegeltent on Sunday (9.30pm ) with David McSavage, Frank Sanazi, and Dana Alexander.
David O’Doherty is in the Town Hall Theatre on Bank Holiday Sunday (9.30pm ) in a terrific mixed bill with Bernard O’ Shea, who plays Eamon in Bridget and Eamon; and Phill Jupitus. Phill will also perform improv with The Stephen Frost Improv Allstars (tomorrow, 7pm, An Taibhdhearc and Sunday, 4pm, Róisín Dubh ); read poetry on a Bob’s Blundabus; and dishing up brunch in Massimo.
Irish born Australian favourite Jimeoin - a man who can make you laugh just by moving his eyebrows - plays the Town Hall Theatre tomorrow at 8pm. Speaking of raised eyebrows, award winner Katy Brand performs her hilarious one woman show I Was A Teenage Christian in An Taibhdhearc (Saturday, 7pm ). Let’s just say the church’s loss was comedy’s gain.
Some of the old guard of Irish comedy like Ardal O Hanlon, PJ Gallagher, and Joe Rooney will be tearing things up on various mixed bills around town. In contrast, The Lords of Strut were fairly unknown about a year ago but have since made it to the semifinals of Britain’s Got Talent. The Cork duo will bring their A-game to Galway with an all ages event in the Spiegeltent on Sunday (before the Macnas Parade, make a day of it ) and provide more adult fare on loads of other mixed bills over the weekend.
Another unusual offering is Momentum Theatre Productions performance of One Night Stand: scenes from Louis CK's Horace & Pete. This is a terrific production of an incredibly ambitious offering from the biggest comedian in the world and illustrates the vision and ‘finger on the pulse of comedy’ accuracy from the bookers of this event.
Tickets are available via vodafonecomedycarnival.com or OMG@Zhivago, Shop Street.
