Two nights in, and it’s clear that this festival is shaping up nicely.  There are some great concepts on paper, and plenty of shows I’m quite intrigued by.  First official show of the festival, Celia Pacquola, was a good one to start with.  Having performed the show at festivals previous to this one, Pacquola appeared comfortable and well prepared.  Her audience was nearly full, with quite a few familiar comedy faces, including Daniel Kitson and the show’s director, Geraldine Hickey.  We weren’t the only reviewers in the crowd, so it will be interesting to see what other publications thought of the performance.

Compared to the packed-in crowds at the Bella Union Bar at Trades Hall on opening night, MTH hub was relatively quiet as I headed in to the first 7.00pm show.  By the time I emerged, though, those 8.00 crowds had started to assemble for the big names, crowds snaking around corners, and the place started to look alive.

Taking a quick break between shows at the Vic Hotel proved very entertaining as we overheard some industry gossip and lots of buzz about who was seeing what already.  Seems quite a few other people were impressed with Pacquola’s show.

Second show at Vic Hotel, Mathew Keneally, proved me right as it sent my companion into convulsive laughter.  It’s nice when you convince someone to come along to a show and enjoy it as much as you hoped they would.  The political humor was spot on, and this first preview showed Keneally is in for a positive festival.

Ducking out early, I headed home to check in on the website, keep an eye on the online goss and prepare for a big weekend of comedy ahead.  I suspect my reviewers are having as much fun as I am, given we’re all up for a huge amount of shows over the next few days.  Fingers crossed the crowds come out in full force, helping word of mouth spread quickly about the talent on offer this year.