TOP Irish stand-up Neil Delamere is bringing his new tour ‘CTRL+ALT+DELAMERE’ to An Grianán Theatre in Letterkenny, this Friday, ‘the thirteenth’.
With a penchant for tongue-in-cheek, eponymously-titled tours (Crème Delamere and Fresh Prince of Delamere) CTRL+ALT+DELAMERE doesn’t disappoint.
Audiences can expect the usual banter and quick witted, well observed comedy next Friday as they have come to expect from Delamere, who has been described by critics as “a master” (The Scotsman) and ‘a wryly brilliant live performer” (Sunday Times).
Speaking to the Donegal News, Delamere dismissed ‘criticism’ of his decision to stage his show on one of the unluckiest days of the year.
“Ah I think they (Donegal people) will be all right – the fine people of Donegal are no more superstitious than the rest of us. The minds of the genuinely superstitious amongst them can be put at ease as a black cat told two magpies to tell me to put the gig on Friday 13th. So, we should be grand,” he stressed.
Needless to say, the Offaly funny man is looking forward to returning to the An Grianán stage after a sell-out performance there last February.
“I’ve always found An Grianán’s audiences to be a joy to play to. They’re invariably up for it. They get involved when you want them to, but can appreciate the stories too,” he said.
“Also the crowds can be more diverse than in other areas because it’s a tourist county. Add to that, the fact that people head there from over the border and it means you get an eclectic mix of nationalities, backgrounds, jobs, and life stories. This is a godsend for any performer who mines the audience to make the show a bit more spontaneous. Where else will there be the possibility of a wookie in the audience soon?”
And what does he like so much about performing in Donegal?
“I love the slight air of wildness,” he explains.
“I’ve always thought that if there is a county that has mischief in its very bones, it’s Donegal. Maybe it’s the influence of geography or topography but there’s a definite sense of we will do things our way in the North West. That trait is massively appealing to comedians who like to think of themselves as independent of thought. However I’m not ruling out the possibility I’m reading too much into all of this after making a documentary about Red Hugh O’Donnell.”
The star of RTÉ’s The Panel, 2nd Republic, BBC’s The Blame Game, Fighting Talk and Michael McIntyre’s Comedy Roadshow is renowned for delivering powerhouse, sell out performances, whether it’s at Dublin’s Vicar Street, or further afield at high profile international festivals such as the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, Edinburgh Fringe Festival and the Montreal Just For Laughs Festival.
Last February he sold out An Grianan, so booking is advised.
For information and bookings, call the An Grianan Box Office on 07491 20777 or log on to www.angrianan.com