Festival news first: on Friday, September 25, BBC staple Paul Merton will bring his long-running, Paul and Impro Chums show to the Olympia. It does what it says on the tin: Merton and some comedian buddies (usually Richard Vranch, Lee Simpson and Merton’s third wife, Suki Webster) improvise sketches based on audience suggestions. Of course, fans of the entirely unscripted Have I Got News for You and Room 101 will know how good Merton is when it comes to off-the-cuff wit. Ahem. Anyway, the Impro Chums have received overwhelmingly positive reviews in the UK. In spite of the naff title, this will probably be one of the hottest tickets of the Bulmers Comedy Festival; €30 worth of hotness, to be specific.
 
The festival will wrap up on Sunday, September 27 with Miss Behave and The Crack in the Olympia. This sounds like a drag show and it might well be – it’s hard to tell as MCD tend to release information about forthcoming gigs in convoluted, Nostradamus-style riddles. “The mind-boggling rider for ‘The Crack’ show is like nothing ever seen including One Tonne of Rice for Woody Bop Muddy who will invite the public to exercise their democratic right to twist, shout and perhaps even revolt, over modern music in a fury of ritualistic rice throwing.” Ok then. There’ll be appearances on the night from Scottish stand-up Phil Kay, award-winning ventriloquist Nina Conti and “hula-hooping sensation Kalki Hula Girl.” Again, it’s €30.
On Friday and Saturday, October 2 and 3, Ballymun comedian Willie White (off Des Bishop’s reality show Joy in da Hood) will play the Laughter Lounge in Belfast. He’ll be joined by soft-spoken Kildare man Jarlath Regan (off The Panel). Tickets are £13 from Laughterlounge.com.
Down south, meanwhile, master of surrealism Kevin McAleer will play the City Limits Comedy Club in Cork on Saturday, October 3, while Eleanor Tiernan (Tommy’s cousin) will play the same venue the following Friday, October 9 and Saturday, October 10. She’s very funny and very charming, giving the lie to the large body of opinion which places funny women in the same bracket as unicorns and griffins, i.e. non-existence.