There's something very strange about seeing Men Behaving Badly's Neil Morrissey in the flesh. Apart from the fact that he's better looking, better dressed and a lot less goofy than his sitcom persona, you still expect him to act like a bit of an eejit. So when he opened the Murphy's Cat Laugh's Festival on Wednesday night, most people were left a little confused by the brevity of his speech.
We all stood there hanging on every word, desperately hoping for a bit of a chuckle and before we knew what had happened he'd been whisked off in a cab to the airport.
Still, it didn't quell the spirits much as there were plenty of others there to keep the laughs going including comedians Eddie Bannon, Jason Byrne, who's just back from the US where he was filming a new sitcom, and Mark Doherty. Actor Colm Lydon, who has changed his name from Colm O'Maonlai to stop confusion with his singing brother Liam O'Maonlai, was in good form after his recent return from Australia. Also enjoying the craic were Alan Amsby a.k.a Mr. Pussy, cartoonist Tom Mathews and Don't Feed the Gondolas host Dara O'Briain.
Now in its fifth year, the festival is still going strong with the line-up featuring such well-established names as Rich Hall, Dom Irrera, Johnny Vegas and Dylan Moran.
In a new move, a cartoon festival is due to take place featuring Gary Trudeau of Doonesbury fame as well as the Guardian's Steve Bell and the Irish Times' Martin Turner.
Later in the evening sex, corruption and political subversion was alive and well in Dublin Castle with the opening of Jean Genet's play, The Balcony, at the Crypt. Directed by Letitia Agudo of the Common Currency Theatre Company, the castplayed a thousand parts, while the audience sat captivated `cabaret style' in the middle. Guests enjoying the sex and intrigue included Rossa O Sioradain of Lughnasa Productions, Gilly Clarke and Willie White of Loose Cannon, Michael Scott, former director of the RHA, and Martine Moreau of the French Embassy.