Monster

Dylan Moran pacing a stage with a glass of white wine in one hand and a lit cigarette in the other is one of the most comforting images in British and Irish comedy. He performs with the energy of an over-educated, slightly hungover poet who has been dragged out of a pub to explain why everything is terrible. What makes this hour work is Moran’s commitment to a finely tuned grumpiness that balances elegant prose with outright misanthropy. He manages to sound like a man falling apart while executing some of the most precisely written, rhythmic sentences in stand-up.

Recorded at Vicar Street in Dublin in May 2004, the show caught Moran at a career high. He had just wrapped up the third and final season of his sitcom Black Books and co-starred in Shaun of the Dead. Despite his growing profile, he maintains the stage persona of a cantankerous recluse who is deeply annoyed by modern life. He spends his stage time taking aim at the absurdity of rap music, the silent tragedy of modern hotel rooms, and the sheer irritation of aging. He offers memorable, bizarre thoughts on how pop stars are merely “things to occupy thongs” and laments how younger generations have traded speech for text messaging. Filmed just weeks after Ireland implemented its indoor smoking ban, Moran’s defiant puffing on stage adds a touch of local rebellion to an already beautifully chaotic set.