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Brick Wall Comedy
Brick Wall Comedy

Cracked

Tommy Tiernan

2004 · 62 min

A manic, theatrical hour of mythology and Irish Catholic guilt.

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Tommy Tiernan’s performance style sits somewhere between a sermon and a manic breakdown. He channels his trademark theatricality into winding, poetic stories that build to absurd crescents. The centerpiece of the set is a bizarre deconstruction of the Greek myth of the Minotaur, which he reimagines with the wrong halves, featuring man legs and a heavy bull top, using it to explain the moment humanity supposedly abandoned its animal instincts, only for those base urges to return the second someone has a few drinks.

Recorded at Vicar Street in Dublin, the set captures Tiernan in 2004, a period when his live ticket sales in Ireland were famously rivaled only by U2. Though his career has often been defined by tabloid controversies, this hour leans into a more mischievous, playful tone. He mocks the temptation of Jesus with silly theatricality and contrasts Ireland’s historically dour, repressive Catholicism with the expressive, joyful religious celebrations found in other parts of the world. Other highlights include a physical routine about the terrifying thrill of running down a hill that is too steep, and a bit about how the Irish managed to shrug off hundreds of years of English oppression. Variety praised his storytelling style, comparing his literary charm favorably against his American peers.

The set list

4 bits

  1. Deconstruction of the temptation of Jesus

    Tackles biblical narrative from a silly rather than blasphemous perspective.

  2. The childhood thrill of running down a hill

    Poetic, evocative recall of running down a steep slope while giddy with out-of-control danger.

  3. Contrasting Irish Catholicism with world religions and 800 years of oppression

    Examines the dour nature of Irish Catholicism against joyous celebrations elsewhere while highlighting Ireland shrugging off centuries of English rule.

  4. Critique of Israel's intransigence

    Delivers political commentary with a playful and mischievous delivery.

How it plays

Tone
Playful, smart, irreverent, and joyful.
On stage
Irreverent, passionately compelling maverick storyteller with a cheeky, mischievous twinkle.
Pace
Playful, invigorating, and poetic with evocative lyricism.
About
Irish psyche and cultural identity, Catholicism vs joyous world faith, English oppression, Childhood memories and nostalgia, Religion and biblical stories

What the critics said

Praised by Chortle as a wonderfully funny hour of smart, joyful stand-up and a perfect introduction to Tiernan; hailed by The Irish Times ('We're in the hands of a master here') and The Guardian ('He's so good it's scary').

In the room: Energetic Dublin crowd during a sell-out run at Vicar Street.

Summed up from reviews, articles and listings. Sources: letterboxd.com, gomovie.ai, chortle.co.uk, johnmurphyeditor.com, playbill.com, audible.com, en.wikipedia.org, imdb.com, whatsafterthemovie.com, portland.thephoenix.com.

Backstory

Filmed during a sell-out run at Dublin's Vicar Street in 2003, touching upon personal history including living on the dole for seven years, Irish Catholicism, and the Irish psyche.

Details

Released
Taped
2003, Vicar Street, Dublin
Runtime
62 min
Director
Ian Fitzgibbon
Honors
No. 1 DVD in Ireland for three weeksCertified Double Platinum in Ireland
Topics
Before
Live (2002)
After
Under the Influence (2018)

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