As the man prepares to headline the Hardy Har Comedy Club on Thursday, April 20th, the mighty Colum McDonnell took a break from force-feeding himself Easter eggs to tell GG all about his comedy heroes.
Being the nosey swines that we are, we also asked the man to let us know a little bit about where the funny came from.
Instead, he gave us a potted bio. Which will just have to do.
Take it away, young Colum. Ya mad feck.
Colum McDonnell is best known for performing on the RTE satirical comedy show Irish Pictorial Weekly, in which he plays an array characters including the news presenter from the News From Your Region sketches, inept civil servants and confused Garda. His other TV credits are numerous, including RTE’s Bridget and Eamonn, The Savage Eye and The Podge and Rodge Show, and Comedy Central’s The World Stands Up.
Colum has an unhealthy obsession with primates and an extensive knowledge of everything he has read on Wikipedia.
Hailing from Dundalk, this border town resident has been entertaining audiences with his comedic charms since the beginning of the 21st century,and is quietly hopeful of becoming an overnight success one day.
The Influences
Blackadder
My earliest memories of comedy are Fawlty Towers, Dads Army and Irish Election Specials, but this show stayed with me for a long time after. The Blackadder Goes Forth series is still one of the best written comedies. It has stood the test of time, whereas some other shows do not – especially The Irish Election Specials. Some of them just aren’t funny at all.
Life Of Brian/ The Holy Grail/The Meaning of Life
Anyone involved in comedy has been influenced by the Monty Python team, whether they realise it or not.
Blazing Saddles
Another early comedy memory. The beans around the campfire scene. Funny when I was 11, still funny now I’m 21 and a massive half.
Eddie Izzard
A true genius. I loved that he could be 3 or 4 characters on stage just by taking a step to the side. The best stand up i have ever seen.
Father Ted
Probably no explanation needed here, but the show gave modern Irish comedy a voice to this day. We need an equivalent show today to give a voice to a new generation of comics.
The League Of Gentlemen
I love their surreal sense of humour and the absurdity. These lads have produced some of the most creative comedy of the past few decades, be it The League of Gentlemen, Psychoville or Inside No.9. All wonderfully dark and funny. Papa Lazarou and his “You’re my wife now” catchphrase is the only comedy creation that ever gave me nightmares. Funny, funny nightmares.
Toast of London
If you haven’t seen this Matt Berry comedy yet, stop reading this and go watch it. Or finish reading this, then go watch it… whichever the editor of the Greystones Guide is happier with [Ed’s note: read half of the entire Guide, then Toast, then the other half of the Guide].