Electric Picnic: The Essential Comedy Acts For 2018

David O’Doherty

It’s been two decades since the Dublin funnyman broke on to the comedy circuit, and these last few years have been a prolific time for the musician-comedian-author-actor. He released his children’s book Danger Is Everywhere to wide acclaim, including selection by Unesco Dublin for their City of Literature Citywide Reading Campaign. O’Doherty has also gained accolades down under, winning Best International Comedian at the 2014 Sydney Comedy Festival. So, looking for some deadpan musical whimsy at the Picnic? O’Doherty and his trusty mini-keyboard are just the ticket.

Alison Spittle

Alison Spittle is one of the brightest Irish comedy talents of the decade, with her star soaring in recent times thanks to her acclaimed RTÉ 2 sitcom, Nowhere Fast. Having served in the comic trenches of the Dublin and Edinburgh Fringes as well as other notable festivals, Spittle further increased her following with her prolific appearances on Irish radio and television. But to see her in the live arena is to experience her at her best.

Eric Lalor

When not terrorising the inhabitants of Carrigstown in Fair City as villain Cathal Spillane, the Ballymun stand-up has been busy picking up accolades for his work in the comedy arena. A regular at the Kilkenny Cat Laughs Festival, Lalor has come far from his fresh-faced appearance on Des Bishop’s Joy In The Hood, where he was one of several inexperienced comedians trying their hand on the live stage. Going from amateur to auteur in little over a decade, Lalor has received rave reviews and opened at major venues for established acts such as Tommy Tiernan and Jason Byrne. His Picnic slot should be another memorable moment.

Russell Howard

You will know him as the witty, ebullient panellist from Never Mind The Buzzcocks, 8 Out Of 10 Cats and Would I Lie To You?, but the Bristolian is kept busy these days with his own show, The Russell Howard Hour, on Sky One. The arena-bothering comic’s recent tours have seen him tackling global political issues, from The Donald and Brexit to international terrorism, though tempered with hilariously intimate personal anecdotes. Howard’s edgy satirical commentary will no doubt find a receptive and welcoming audience in Laois.

Joanne McNally

Taking a break from the halls of Montrose to saunter down to Stradbally for the weekend, the comedienne will bound on stage boasting an acclaimed and provocative repertoire of material. In 2015, McNally became the host of RTÉ 2’s Republic Of Telly, not to mention later bringing her own one-woman show Bite Me to the Dublin Fringe Festival. When she’s not entertaining comedy fans in Kilkenny or Edinburgh, she can be found contributing to celebrity lifestyle magazine Stellar, where McNally dispenses sound advice on all things relevant to modern Irish culture.