I'm new to comedy nights myself, hearing from some of my friends who go regularly that they can be very hit and miss...but i was compelled to check this one out as a first time. O' Donoghues is a good rustic, intimate venue, but the overcrowding was a bit of a problem as i was left crushed into the corner. I know that the promoters are keen to get the word out to as many people as possible, but they could have cut the number down by 6-8 people.
Also, from the point of view of the comedians, i did feel that they were getting the dirty end of the rag because they were all crowded together on the stairs for all to see waiting to come on and do their act on front of a non-paying, relatively sober, international and fairly quiet crowd...so tough gig for anyone. Saying that, there were plenty of loud laughs to keep most people in good spirits, but there were long periods where only a collection of polite giggles could be heard. I'm not gonna single any comedians out, because fair play to them for waiting around on a stairs for over 2 hours and then getting up there and doing their thing, and i certainly couldn't and wouldn't ever do it, but when the material drifts into, "i hate my kids", "those ISIS lads are alright" "i f***k prostitutes" and the like...i think its time to get back to the drawing board and rethink how to make those jokes funny. Not that they were offensive, they were just very cringe (expect for the "panda killing their young is why they are the symbol of China" joke, which was funny.....because people laughed!)
Saying that, you gotta take the hits with the misses on a night out like this, and with a few more drinks in me and a slightly smaller crowd, i'd definitely pay to go again to the Jester's Comedy Club! read more