Originally published by L.S. Media. March 23rd 2012.

L.S. Media Rating *****

Before the curtain was raised even one inch on what became a night of high class comedy, the gentle and uplifting music of Neil Hannon’s Divine Comedy classic The Lost Art of Conversation filtered through the auditorium and to the awaiting, patient audience’s ears as they took their seats. If there is a song that fits perfectly the nature of comedy gig by Dara O’ Briain, then the man and his conversation surely is the one.

For that is what a night with Dara really is, a conversation that leads down many alleys, some incredibly surreal, some so brilliant and utterly charming that you can’t help but fall for the Gaelic ways and the exquisite performance that the man gives.

The people of Liverpool are rarely given the opportunity to revel in three nights of pure comedy gold by the same comedian. For once the person who books the tours and gets the map out of where is excellent to play got it spot on by putting Dara O’ Briain on for three nights at the Empire Theatre. In all honesty, the genial Irishman could say he would do an Eric Clapton-like residency for a few weeks at any venue and he would sell out every night. Whether this is down to unique way he connects with all of those that come to his shows or the fact that his comedy is just that good could be a debate that would rage till the Guinness factory ran dry.

With the conversation between comic and audience being the single most important part of the show, it’s no surprise that if you are down the front or somehow possess a rather loud voice that can be distinctly heard from the very back row of the stalls, you are fair game, not to be ridiculed in some way that would make anyone truly uncomfortable but in a way that makes you open up further as the warmth of interest shown in what you do for a living passes your lips.   Before you know it, the immense talent of the man has turned into a ten minute set which will have you roaring with laughter as you head home and remember some of the incredible moments of the night.

The theme of the night was the world of work and the more interesting the better, whether true or not, Dara, a self-confessed novice in the real world away from the life beyond the safety curtain, will make something of a legend of you that on one occasion in recent memory has led to an audience member’s story ending up being repeated the length and breadth of the nation and on the T.V. programme Q.I.

Nothing really is off bounds, from the world of Sally Morgan and her psychic ilk, the world of astronomy and Professor Brian Cox being described as delicious and the idea of a pretty girl being put in a show as interest of “one for the dads”, this is all open for debate between Dara and his audiences.

It is always a problem to pin down exactly on who is the best comedy performer alive, surely though the man who can even make the world of the Health and Safety Executive seem ripe for discussion has to be top of the list.

This is one night where everything goes out the window, a night of insane and beautiful comedy.

Ian D. Hall