CAT LAUGHS, KILKENNY:With Irish acts stealing the show, 25,000 people looking for a giggle were not disappointed
THE RECESSION made its baleful presence felt at this year’s Cat Laughs comedy festival in Kilkenny but despite a slimmed-down line-up and no sponsor for the annual bank holiday event, an estimated 25,000 people travelled to the laughathon.
With 66 different shows over 13 venues, Cat Laughs really does seep into every corner of the cathedral city and the fine weather jollied proceedings along.
As always, despite the presence of some heavy-hitting international acts, it was the Irish acts who stole the show with Limerick’s Rubberbandits and RTÉ personality Hector Ó hEochagáin both making a big impression on their debut appearances at the festival.
Now in its 17th year, the festival has broadened out from its once strict “stand-up only” rule and as a consequence there’s more of a variety show feel to affairs with acts, such as UK jazz-comedy quartet the Horne Section proving to be a real audience favourite.
Elsewhere Colm O'Regan's Dislike! A Facebook Guide To The Recessionpoked the profile of the country's financial woes and there was a genteel tea and crusts-cut-off sandwich feel to David O'Doherty's Afternoon De-Writeshow which had the comic and his brother, film-maker Mark, read extracts from their favourite books.
O'Doherty is himself a published author having penned the essential tomes: 100 Facts About Pandas– which is soon be followed up by 100 Facts About Sharks.
There were many show sell-outs with tickets for Tommy Tiernan being hard to track down. The Navan comic put in some incendiary performances and was all but carried shoulder high by rapt audiences.
More than 20,000 tickets were sold over the weekend and there wasn’t a hotel room to be found for love, money or credit card.
Such is the cash boost to the local economy that it is estimated Cat Laughs brings in about €8 million to Kilkenny each year – although how much of that sum ends up in publicans’ tills remains a moot point.
In terms of width and breadth, this was one of the most varied and enjoyable line-ups of recent years.
From the clever nudge and wink of Eleanor Tiernan’s intimacies to the dark and demented songwriting of US YouTube sensation Bo Burnham, there was an act to suit the taste of almost everybody in the audience.
The annual Ireland vs The Rest Of The World football match yesterday afternoon was, as always, an almost mobile art installation piece all in itself
as mostly hungover and out-of-shape comedians struggled to string together some silken moves.