Holy mother of God, Dan Tiernan is like nobody else you’ll have seen before. The unique talent and perspective roaring out of this young man like a dangerous backdraft make for an unforgettable comedy experience.
Tiernan is an unusual guy. He has dyspraxia, which affects his movement, and for which he had to attend a non-mainstream school. He’s also gay (though claims people don’t always believe him), and says that he’s funny-looking, and has a heap of material about this.
He creates a volatile atmosphere as he introduces us to his world, and much of what he has to say is at his own expense, and this is where we get into difficult territory. He uses a brutal but clever approach to make us laugh about aspects of his condition, and it’s a delicate space to occupy as an audience member.
Laughing at him effectively bullying himself doesn’t always feel OK, but then he yells at somebody who doesn’t appear to be laughing, thereby twisting that whole dynamic in a way that somehow feels both alienating and intimate.
He’s completely in charge, but you can’t shake off that niggling feeling that he’s had to create this carapace to protect himself from some horrible treatment in the past.
The laughs do not stop; at times this might be a result of the tension he so cleverly creates, while for the most part it’s due to his astonishingly funny material, from ironies of Jehovah’s Witnesses opinions on homosexuality to his mother’s partner and tattoo. Elements about his relationship with his sister are glorious and would make for a compellingly dark television comedy drama series.
What an electrifying debut from a unique new voice.
Ashley Davies
22.00
Monkey Barrel 2
Until 27 August (not 14)
