Last weekend saw the return of actor and comedian Dylan Moran to the Brighton stage. This two night stop of his latest tour, “What it is” sold out months in advance, and The Dome was buzzing with feverish anticipation by the time he graced the stage. Moran did not have to work very hard to win the affection of his audience as he was clearly preaching to the converted, but nonetheless delivered a wonderfully entertaining and intensely funny show.
“What it is” marks a return to form from Moran, whose quirky and delightfully dark style of observational comedy left the audience in stitches as he mocked their lives and dissected their relationships. Yet simultaneously Moran displayed a shift in focus. This is a comedian who has evolved, deriving humour from the ridicule of his new surroundings, as is the nature of observational comedy.
Family life bore the brunt of his scorn, but he got a few good blows in at young couples (mainly out of jealousy) as well as what he dubbed “the Brighton style” of dress. Moran has managed to develop the content of his comedy without losing the essence and identity of his humour.
However, for a comedian as proficient as Moran, his show did feel a little under-rehearsed. Several glances at his watch towards the end of the disappointingly short first half gave the impression that all was not going according to plan. The quality of his stand up did not suffer, but the bar staff were left disgruntled by the unusually early interval and mild chaos ensued. Despite this, Moran’s wit retained the support of his audience.
‘The Dome was buzzing with anticipation by the time Dylan Moran graced the stage’
Unlike other comedians, Dylan Moran cannot be accused of having delusions of grandeur. While not a-political, he did not attempt to work any profound ideological agenda into his show, or have a stab at scrutinising the human condition. This was to his merit, producing a deliciously dark, twisted and resoundingly funny hour-and-a- quarter on the ridiculous situations encountered in everyday life.
The frequency and volume of laughter heard inside The Dome that night would be enough to convince
anyone that Moran is still a comedian at the top of his game. The Badger can forgive him his faults and the slight change in direction, and without hesitation say they are still a fan of Dylan Moran.
