MICHAEL REDMOND: A CONVERSATION WITH FATHER STONE
Bardic Comedy Club Presents
MICHAEL REDMOND: A CONVERSATION WITH FATHER STONE
Support from Paddy McDonnell and Niamh Marron
– MC Ruairi Woods
There are not many people who have been struck by lightning and lived to tell the tale. While this may not have actually happened to Michael Redmond himself, it is a fate which befell his character Father Stone – one of the more memorable creations of Channel 4’s classic comedy Father Ted.
There is something of a lightning strike victim in Michael. With his shock of white hair, droopy black moustache and a face that the phrase hangdog expression was invented for, he was born to perform deadpan comedy. It is a difficult style for any comedian, but with his physical headstart he has gone on to prove himself a master over the past fifteen years. Michael has that rare physical presence that is capable of getting audiences rolling with laughter without having to say a word. But when you add to this his natural gifts of precision timing and outrageously well-crafted material, the results can be almost tortuously hysterical.
As skilled a writer as he is a performer, Michael started his career scripting comedy for Irish radio and television. After moving to London in 1987, he quickly established himself as a firm favourite on the comedy circuit, headlining at clubs throughout the UK and later developing his own one-man shows. A regular at major comedy festivals, Michael has performed a number of hugely successful solo shows at the Edinburgh Fringe, including Eamon, Older Brother of Jesus, which was later developed as a series for Radio 4 and has been commissioned for a slot on Comedy Showcases (Channel 4).
Michael has appeared on a number of other high profile TV shows, including Comedy Nation (BBC2), Friday Night Live (LWT), The Stand Up Show (BBC1), Clive Anderson Talks Back (BBC1), Just for Laughs and of course Father Ted (both C4).
But it is his startling effect on a live audience that makes him such a hot property. He’s firmly established as resident host of the Sunday night show at The Stand (Michael Redmond’s Sunday Service) in Glasgow and he embarked on a full Scottish tour of his Long Riders show following its debut at the Glasgow International Comedy Festival and a great performance in front of a sell-out crowd at the 2,500 seat Edinburgh Festival Theatre. Michael is a regular at The Stand’s Best of Irish Comedy showcase and continues to be in big demand nationwide.
‘hilarious … a great comedian’ Scotsman
‘Excellent, deadpan dry wit’ Guardian
‘explosively funny’ Irish Times