Funny man Brendan Grace"s Tullamore gig

Irish comedian, Brendan Grace comes to Tullamore on Monday, January 5, bringing his latest show 'Funny Man' to the Bridge House Hotel. The Funny Man dvd and cd are out in shops this Christmas, and speaking to the Offaly Independent this week, Brendan says he is proud of his latest production: 'I"m very excited and proud of this latest DVD because it is the tenth production of mine,' says Brendan. 'There is a lot of controversy about comedy at the moment and I am delighted that this DVD has been rated PG, as have all the previous productions, so it is something the whole family can enjoy.' Brendan went on to explain the importance of comedy in people"s lives: 'Nowadays we need to laugh more and this DVD has it all, lots of laughs and let"s just say a surprise appearance from the well known, and loved, character "Bottler".!' The DVD was shot in the Gaiety Theatre, Dublin, which 50 years ago Brendan Grace first started attending as a patron: 'I used to go and see Maureen Potter along with all the best on stage at that time, and this is my second time to do a production there, so it was very nostalgic being back there again.' Brendan has been travelling the high roads and by-roads of the comedy circuit for 38 years now, playing in the likes of London"s Albert Hall and New York"s Carnegie Hall. He has even performed private shows for stars such as Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr. and Liza Minelli in 1991. Among all the new faces in comedy today however, Brendan is still a household name and says retirement is something that has never entered his head. 'Comedy is a labour of love for me. A lot of comedians are known as the proverbial clowns nowadays, with the tears behind the laughter, but I see comedy as a vocation and I could never think of retiring.' Though based in the United States, Brendan says he loves returning home, and continues to base his humour in the Irish culture. 'My Irishness is something that is very obvious and it is something that speaks to both audiences in Ireland and in America.' Catch Brendan Grace in the Bridge House Hotel in Tullamore on Monday, January 5.