Rich's hall of fame for southern satire

The awards just keep coming Rich Hall's way. Previously, the US comic won an Emmy for his stand-up capabilities and just last month he won the British Time Out Comic of the Year award. It's not difficult to see why: Hall is a shrewd satirist who packs plenty of bite and, occasionally, bile. In a world full of twee and whimsical "have you ever noticed . . ." gag merchants, he succeeds in bringing a real sense of piquancy to his act.

What you're getting from him tomorrow night at Dublin's Vicar St venue is his own double-headlining show. First on will be Mr Hall as himself, where he will splendidly scatter-gun the room with all manner of tough and uncompromising geo- political material. Second on is his alter-ego, Otis Lee Crenshaw - a convict from the Deep South who mixes songs with prison banter. Watch out for numbers such as He Almost Looks Like You and Tonight The Malt Is Single And So Am I. One of the best comics around at the moment, he's a class act.