The eponymous, age-old joke set-up relies on a punchline that ribs one of the three nationalities. As expected, the sequence of three charming comedians uses this teasing style of banter to teeter, at times, on the border between hilarity and discomfort. The sold-out act features Rick Molland, a charming piss-taker, Danny O’Brien, a charismatic storyteller, and Billy Kirkwood, a master of unserious wackiness.
The Englishman — Rick Molland — opens by surveying the crowd to see which nationalities his audience members are from. This tactic, along with the fact the lights were literally on, immediately puts the audience in the spotlight. Whilst slightly daunting for those of us who dread public embarrassment, this approach is undeniably engaging and allows him to showcase his naturally quick wit. This flows instinctively into hilarious (and at times improvised) anecdotes. Molland has a warmth to him, but don’t turn up late or he’ll call you a wanker and force you to sit at the front. And perhaps don’t sit with your boyfriend if you’re not prepared to publicly announce whether you’ll marry him or not. That said, his cheeky smile and his lightning-fast wit make his set wonderfully funny and naturally entertaining.
The Irishman — Danny O’Brien — follows, weaving together some bawdy, shamefully relatable stories of hangover food, sex noises, and some (at times clichéd) reflections on marital partners. His content is mostly aimed at the over 30s who make up the majority of the audience. Danny’s charming humility and charismatic storytelling does however undisputedly have the whole venue giggling along.
The Scotsman — Billy Kirkwood — is a master of making fun of himself. The crude stories and intense crowd-work is now at bay, and his energetic self-deprecation takes the focus. For the finale, though, Kirkwood chooses two audience-members up for a ‘lip-syncing battle’ and a ‘rave’. This — unlike the rest of the show — feels a bit forced and awkward (especially for the poor sods dragged up on the stage).
Despite the strange ending and a few ruthless jokes, there is no denying the natural talent of this trio, who will certainly leave you aching from laughter and with lots to talk about.
An Englishman, an Irishman and a Scotsman is running until 31 August at The Beehive Inn. Buy tickets here.
Image provided to The Student for press use.
