Dylan Moran: What It Is Live 2009

Universal Studios

R4 DVD

Reviewer: Bob Estreich

Who is Dylan Moran? If I mentioned Bernard from the British TV comedy Black Books, would you remember the drunken lazy Irishman Bernard Black with a down on the world, his customers, and his life? He also made appearances in Shaun of the Dead, A Film With Me In It, and Run Fatboy Run. His grounding in comedy came from the many Comedy Festivals, where he has had a lot of success. This is a hard field to excel in but his first win was at the Edinburgh Festival in 1993. He has come a long way since then.

In this DVD Moran gives us his standup comedy routine. This one was filmed in Sydney. He comes on stage looking a lot like Bernard Black – hair everywhere, Irish accent and possibly just a little drunk-looking. This seems to make him instantly familiar to the audience and they quickly settle in for the night’s entertainment.

His show also has a lot of Bernard Black in it – the same ranting about trivia, the same irrational barbed dislike of the oddest things. He focuses mainly on people and their relationships and manages to cover a lot of ground during the show. Wait until he gets started on curtains as a sign that your life has ended. I also learned more about the fetish of “furries” than I ever wanted to know.

Surprisingly he manages to keep the monologue going for well over an hour without excessive swearing or reference to sex – it’s there but done in a minor and humorous way that adds to the show. It comes across as just a part of his character, not something used to excess to try to shock an audience. This works well to develop his on-stage persona into someone the audience relates to. It’s not offensive – it’s just the way he is.

Dylan’s delivery is faultless and flows well. He does not follow the American technique of the one-liner (then wait for laughter). His delivery is a slower, more rambling build-up to the final explosion about his current subject. Again, this works well for his style. He is not showing off to us, he is leading us gently in the direction he is going.

He uses the full stage during his show. He seems to be wandering aimlessly but I noticed after a while he was making eye contact with most of his audience this way – no one would feel as if they were being left out just because they were off to one side of the theatre. It may also be a result of his arm movements. Dylan is a very lively comedian and his arms talk almost as much as he does. This again gives him the appearance of an amiable drunk on his way home from the pub.

I found Dylan to be a very comfortable comedian to listen to. He is not in-your-face or offensive. He is rambling and non-threatening and has that Irish tendency towards exaggeration that can make any situation seem funny.

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This review will appear in Volume 3 No.1 of the digital and print edition of Synergy Magazine.

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