Ed Byrne's latest show is based around the notion that as a generation we are all spoilt. Ed Byrne is spoilt. So too are his children. Though he justifies this by saying that he's giving his children the start in life that he didn't have. The trampoline in the back garden is one way he highlights the difference between his children's childhood and that of his own to good effect.
A thoroughly entertaining hour that shows a comedian on top of his game.
It's these observations that form the basis of a show that's personal, but never self indulgent. This self awareness has the audience onside from the outset. The laughs are equalled by the nods of awareness from the audience at Byrne's perceptive observations of the ludicrous nature of our age.
Byrne originally intended to call the show I’ll Millennial You In A Minute, but this as a title was considered to be 'off-puttingly baffling'. There is nothing baffling or off-putting about this show. The packed audience are treated to a one-hour tour de force performance from the master comedian.
At the start he alluded to the fact that the first five shows needed to have the rougher edges honed, these bits weren't apparent tonight. In fact, the only misstep of the night was the from the tech guy who had forgot to bring out a stand for him to rest his pint. You get the feeling that he's probably the least demanding performer at the festival, so asking for this prop is no mere frippery.
There is a good level of self-deprecation throughout the show from the Irish comedian, who even though he has successfully navigated his way through a career that most comics would kill for, he still seems to be grounded. He addressed TV fame in a humorous way. Also, the fact that his love for the outdoors has seen him successfully become a columnist writing about his passion. He acknowledged that this might not have been what his younger self would have envisaged as a career path. Equating the price of things, to the price of a skiing holiday, may set your teeth on edge when done by anyone else, but with Byrne you can’t help but indulge.
There's a routine that he sets up talking about his son and an electric fence. This is almost abandoned as he veers off in a tangent. Given the consummate professional that he is, he manages to pull it back to the story that he'd set up. It was worth the deviation and the pay off when we arrive at its conclusion.
There's the inevitable Trump joke and it's one that highlights another entitled person that fits in with the idea of that everyone is now spoilt.
This is a thoroughly entertaining hour that shows a comedian on top of his game. The gags come thick and fast and leaves the audience with the feeling of being spoilt.
