Dylan Moran


We went to see Dylan Moran tonight; Singapore was the last leg of a long tour for him. Maybe it showed; things were rambling and unstructured, but that’s what you’d expect anyway.

There were some great gems: an altercation with a hipster barista; the description of people into extreme sports as “a waste of rope” and pet shops as a place to buy things that will surely due just a few of the highlights. There were parts at the start of the second half that shaded into cliche, and there wasn’t as accomplished Singaporean material as Bill Bailey, his Black Books alumnus, managed in a similar set last year.

It also felt much more misanthropic that I had expected. A lot of things rang true in terms of experience and expectation, but overall Moran did come across as very grumpy, and overprotesting his obesity. But perhaps a gruelling tour has done wonders to reduce his midriff.

The University Cultural Centre is a dreadful venue for comedy; technically it’s great, but it’s too big, too sterile, too damn far from town. You can’t see an act and then go for a beer afterwards; pre and post show have to be the object of major logistical planning (and that’s just to get a taxi).

It’s also insanely expensive; two tickets for Dylan were almost $300, plus the cost of a babysitter and taxis. I suppose I’m biassed by the prices you’d pay to see somebody in a room over a pub in London – the quality isn’t really comparable – but it’s still a hefty chunk of change. And getting a drink at the Cultural Centre before or during the show is a minor miracle itself.


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