Byrne Baby Byrne

When I call Jason Byrne, he’s over in London. Don’t tell me we’ve lost another comedian to the UK, I cry. “Jesus no!” Byrne exclaims. “I’m not bloody moving over here, no way. I mean, I’ve been doing work over here for nearly 12 years now, but I’m too much of a homebody, I could never leave Ireland.”

Phew, that’s alright then. Though I don’t know how exactly he has time to come home, given his hectic schedule. “I feel like I’ve been fucked into a wind tunnel,” he says bluntly. “There’s so much shit to do. I’ve just got a new agent, and I’m up to my eyes in work. I’ve a new stand-up show and a new radio show on BBC Radio 2 called The Jason Byrne Show. They really pushed themselves out on that title, didn’t they?” Byrne remarks dryly. “I swear, over here you have to have your name plastered over everything, I wouldn’t be surprised if they’ve sewn my name onto my jocks!”
But though coming up with a title for the show may have been simple, Byrne’s finding radio a bit of a challenge. “It’s not like a Tubridy radio show or anything, promise! It’s a six-part series, in front of a live audience, with a theme for every show. So we pick a theme like ‘marriage’ or something, and all the jokes and sketches have to be about marriage. That’s grand, but it’s the whole comedy on the radio dilemma, it’s gotten so bloody tricky. Jonathan Ross and Russell Brand really screwed things, you can’t swear anymore, you can’t joke about religion, nothing outrageous. But what’s deemed outrageous is mad– you can’t even say ‘feck’ over here - they think it’s the same as ‘fuck’! It’s just very Americanised, there are too many bosses with too much time on their hands, and too many people ready to write ‘Disgruntled in Dagenham’ letters to the papers. Never thought I’d think RTE was loose and free about swearing and stuff, but they’re far more relaxed than the UK now.”
And for a performer as irreverent as Byrne, that’s always going to be an issue. “That’s why I will always prefer doing live stand-up to recording, no-one can tell you what to say, what to edit. No censorship for me, thanks!”
And it’s not just the bosses who have a more reserved attitude than the Irish, apparently we’re crazier audiences too. “People in the UK just keep their opinions to themselves. If they like your stuff the most they’ll do is shake your hand and then walk away, whereas Irish people are mad! If they don’t just run up and grab you in a headlock, they at least feel the need to comment on everything. Particularly at festivals, if you’re with a bunch of comedians, people have no problem coming up to you and going ‘Jason, I thought you were the best… Oh, and I saw you other people too…’, it’s hilarious! Irish people just have this obsession with who’s the winner, we’ll say anything.
“And I can’t blame them either, if I wasn’t in this business and I saw someone famous I’d probably yell stuff at them across the street… probably not particlarly nice stuff either! It’s just that Irish thing of taking the piss out of everyone.”
Though Byrne did engage in a bit of piss-taking in Anonymous, inflicting confusion and humiliation on the unsuspecting public, he promises that live audiences have nothing to fear.
“I’m always lovely to the audience, I promise! I don’t slag them at all, I don’t want them to leave feeling attacked, that’s Frankie Boyle territory! I play with them and involve the whole room, which is why I don’t think I’d ever do a stadium gig. I love playing to big audiences, but my comedy doesn’t suit huge arenas, I’d need loads of screens and stuff to make it intimate, and even then I wouldn’t be able to play with the audience as much. Eddie Izzard just played over here to 20,000 people in an outdoor arena and it rained, that’s my worst nightmare!”
Surely the paycheck from a 20,000 audience gig would be hard to turn down though? “Ah no, you have to be cautious about that kind of thing, I never want to neglect the audience. It’s not all about the money.”
Aww, bless. Meja would be disgusted but we think that’s lovely. We’re also digging his enthusiam for Irish comedy, “Seriously, if there was a World Cup Comedy Team Ireland would be like the Brazilians! We have Dara O’Briain, Tommy, Des Bishop, David O’Doherty, we’re amazing! Years ago I was at show with Ricky Gervais, and he demanded to go on first, he was like,'I’m not following you!’ See, even other comedians are scared of us, we’re brilliant!'"
He may work in England but he’s still ready to kick their ass on Ireland’s behalf. Atta boy Byrne. You can take the boy out of Ballinteer, but…

Jason Byrne performs in O’Neills, Meath on October 9, Kavanagh’s in Portlaoise (22) and as part of the Galway Comedy Festival in the Town Hall Theatre (23,) and the Roisin Dubh (24).