A man of few words, was our first impression when we spoke to Irish comedian Jason Byrne. But, those few words were worth a hundred laughs. Bringing his comic swag onto the Indian stage for the first time, he promises to unleash his funniest self in the upcoming show called Jason Byrne is Propped Up.
The initiative to bring him to India was taken by AGP World, the producers of well-known theatrical plays. “For his brand new show, he goes back to his comedy roots, where he’s managed to find ducks, false chins, portable igloos, bewildered owls, dolphins and much more. The topics he covers are nothing out of the ordinary, but his strength of character and delivery really creates a fantastic hour of comedy,” says Ashvin Gidwani, Producer and MD, AGP World.
Byrne says he was born ready for comedy. He loves cracking up and more than that, loves making others laugh silly. The new show will be no different. When we first ask him what it’s all about, he doesn’t know what to say, not because he doesn’t know enough, but because he’s trying to articulate well. “Imagine you and your friends were given the keys to a toy and sweet shop. You spend the night there eating too much sugar and having the best fun ever, with no adults around to tell you what to do. When you’ve had enough, you lie on the floor eating ice-cream and watch The Goonies... hopefully the show is a bit like that,” he says.
Overly curious about India, he’s been thinking about it for a long time, waiting impatiently to live the experience the country is, he tells us. “I’ve also discovered that Irish people love to give advice about places they have never been to. I’ve been advised too, and I am still coming,” he says, adding, “My job takes me places and that’s why I value it so much. You know, from where I stand, it’s easy to be the funny guy, funny to be the tough guy and tough to be the easy guy,” he jokes.
He often leaves behind his script and jokes spontaneously. “Jason holds the audience in the palm of his hand through this stand-up tour-de-force. You have no idea what can be achieved on a live comedy stage until you have seen him spew forth more ideas in a couple of hours that most comics do in a couple of lifetimes.
September 18, Kamani Auditorium, 1, Copernicus Marg, at 5 pm and 7.30 pm.