Dan Tiernan is a shouty man. Sometimes punchlines are shouted and sometimes just a violent gnashing of the teeth, this ferocious ball of gout and gags has volume as a super power, and it’s gleeful.
It’s not all loudness and front row terrifying though. There’s good joke construction and strong delivery too. There’s an openness to Tiernan’s material that brings a balance, sharing stories of his mental health, as well as shenanigans at other festivals. It’s a mix of what feels true and what is clearly constructed just for the benefit of the punchline. The difference is easily identifiable once the laugh has arrived, keeping the intimacy and trust going strong. There’s an especially fun swerve from what appears to be a personal truth into a simply delightful gag regarding recent US events in the news. “I love stand up comedy,” he declares, and that’s evident.
The freedom with which Tiernan expresses himself feels intrinsic to his persona, his dyspraxic body movements adding to his delivery with gay abandon. He embraces his differences and capitalises on them, with free museum tickets and seats on the bus. It’s a masterclass in seeing the strengths in everything, and in mining the humour in yourself.
He ends with a magic trick, suitably boisterous and surprisingly impressive – much like the majority of ‘Stomp’. A worthy follow up to last year’s award-nominated debut.
Dan Tiernan: Stomp, 21:00, Monkey Barrel, Until August 25
