Cat Laughs comedy festival breaks records in all venues

SUNSHINE and comedy do not mix: the sight of a gaggle of comedians running for shelter from the penetrating glare of the morning sun's rays after another heroic night of socialising was the defining image of this year's Murphy's Cat Laughs comedy festival.

Equally edifying was the sight of the funny people emerging from their beds at three in the afternoon, their pallid faces only decorated by sunglasses, inquiring if breakfast was still being served. These are people who could teach your average heavy metal band a thing or two about 24 hour perpetual indulgence, and for that we salute them.

There were worries this year that 25,000 into 20,000 wouldn't go - the former figure being the amount of people drawn down to the festival, the latter being the population of this pretty town.

The good people of Kilkenny, however, have got this international comedy festival lark down to a fine art and despite the usual idiocy of people cluttering up the narrow streets with their cars, the predicted "crush factor never emerged with everybody and everything remaining reasonably mobile during the weekend.

Now in its third year, Cat Laughs offered 80 international comics in 14 different venues over the last five days and box office records were broken in all the venues.

The range of stand up on offer was commendably varied - ranging from the black urban material of US comic Reggie McFadden, the post feminist narrative of Laura Kightlinger, the gay experiences of Scott Capurro, the surreal sexual excesses of Emo Phillips and the delightful Irishman abroad stories told by Owen O'Neill.

While the bulk of the visitors came from all parts of Ireland (but mainly Dublin) there were also healthy contingents of American and British comedy fans who were rather taken aback by the "hey, let's party" element of the festival - similar festivals in Edinburgh and Montreal have more of a "hey, let's do business" aspect to them.

The distinct lack of mobile phones, people pressing business cards into your hand and offers of "doing" lunch, or worse still a "power breakfast" was a welcome respite from the increasingly corporate nature of contemporary comedy.

Those anxious "celebrity spotters" among you will be glad to know that the stars of Father Ted and Ballykissangel were very much in attendance over the weekend along with the usual second division actor/actresses and musicians.

Overall, though, the sight of 50,000 people all wearing sun glasses lent a bizarre Day OX the Zombie feel to the proceedings. Any more of this sunshine and the festival will be ruined.