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Dylan Moran

Just for Laughs 2013: Dylan Moran review

The Irish comic's stream-of-consciousness rambling scores at Park West.

Written by
Jessica Johnson
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After taking to the stage with a glass of red wine that went almost completely untouched throughout the show, Irish comic Dylan Moran told the audience he'd like to "ease into" the evening so as not to "scare it away." This sentiment lasted for all of two minutes before the man launched into a series of rapid-fire thoughts, musings and anecdotes that at once felt finely tuned and intoxicatingly slapdash.

Moran's jokes veered in and out of a host of topics, from comedy standards like politics and gender differences to Chicago eating habits to American exceptionalism. He described "Chicago-style" food as, "Put the food inside the other food. There is no death! If there is, you could probably put cheese on top of it!" Toward the end of the first act, he pulled out his iPhone to read an excerpt from his attempt at a 50 Shades of Grey-style erotic novel, which included the passage: "She approached him like a panther walking on its hind legs for a party trick." As the material began to get political, Moran encouraged the audience not to vocalize their support for his opinions, going so far as to jest, "Even the laughter is starting to annoy me. If at any point you're enjoying the show, just grip your knees a little tighter."

There's a casual brilliance to Moran's act that leaves you feeling like you've wandered into a bar and lucked out into choosing a stool next to the wittiest guy. At times his jokes come off as the meanderings of a drunk man who's forgotten what he was trying to say, but there's a clear rhythm to his word choice that has been expertly honed. It's that wonderful balance of devil-may-care presentation with solid comic talent that makes Dylan Moran an exhilarating comedian to watch.

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