Des Bishop is a big deal in his advertised homeland of Ireland and Saturday night at the Hi-Fi Bar he had the crowd in to prove it. A room full of drunken Irish, happy to fulfil the stereotype and to be lovingly made fun of. This setting made it all the more jarring when Bishop opened his mouth and set free in an American accent. Bishop grew-up in New York and was sent off to school in Ireland at age 14 having been expelled for alcohol related problems. What was his Ma thinking?

The result of his uprooting is that a lot of his material is that of an outsider looking in; observations of quirky traits and behaviour that has helped make that age-old stereotype of The Irish. In this case, it works – Bishop’s fresh eyes are able to cut straight to the home truths of Ireland. What sits uneasy is his American side, bringing out his earnest belief in expressing emotions.

Much of the show is set around the comedy of the confessional and his dysfunctions (hence the show’s name) but at times it veers to the solemn and sober. Preaching is not for everyone at a comedy show, though these themes do also radiate with tremendously positive intent. Bishop hits his stride with his regular material, his nuggets about Irish backpackers travelling around Australia and the requisite local references. He is a consummate professional in this regard, working the crowd and ultimately owning the large room. Bishop provides plenty of laughs and plenty of jokes you will try and fail to retell to your friends.

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