Grace Under Pressure
Having come of age as a comedian in the grim 70s and the even grimmer 80s, BRENDAN GRACE knows all about raising an audience’s spirits at a difficult time. Looking forward to his return to Ireland from self-imposed exile in Florida, he discusses his famous cameo in Father Ted and his sudden popularity among younger comedy fans
Paul Nolan, 03 Nov 2010
Your correspondent has experienced the polarities of interviewing during his stint at Hoot Press. Several years ago, Aussie comic Kevin “Bloody” Wilson cheerfully greeted me with the words, “Good morning, you cunt!” due to my phone call interrupting his breakfast. However, the opening exchanges in my conversation with veteran Irish stand-up Brendan Grace are far more agreeable: having learned that his upcoming date at Vicar Street on October 21 takes place on the day after I turn 27, he promptly sings a rendition of ‘Happy Birthday’.
No sooner has he finished than the chipper Grace is enthusing about returning to the Liberties, the area of Dublin in which he grew up.
“It’s my first time in Vicar Street – not only to appear there, but to actually be there,” he quips. “It’s right in the heart of the place I was born, the Liberties, which is very exciting. Nowadays, I live in Florida and I come back to Ireland to tour, but I’m always excited to stand in front of a Dublin audience. This particular time, according to reports, a lot of the bookings for the show are from a younger generation as well, because I’ve been around now for almost 40 years. It’s great to come back and do full houses.”
Indeed, in his time, Grace – as he discussed at length in previous Hoot Press interview – played with such legendary American performers as Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis, Jr (both of whom, he commented, “had a great affinity for the audience”). This time around, will Grace be introducing any new characters alongside old favourites such as Bottler and the father of the bride?
“I’ve never really changed my modus operandi,” he muses. “The characters I do are very varied, and they’re included in the stories. Being back in Dublin now, the particular show that I’ve prepared for Vicar Street is certainly going to be one that people with identify with – because that’s the way comedy is nowadays.”
Do you feel the need to touch on the recession?
Page 1/3 <Previous 1 2 3 Next>
©Hot Press 2011. Why be a member? | Terms of Service | Privacy Policy