Review: ‘Outside Looking In Left’ by the comedic genius Ed Byrne

Ed Byrne brings his show from the last Edinburgh fringe to the Warwick Arts Centre; a comfortable and rather jolly evening. Byrne causes no controversy, and in a comedy scene that is often filled with a Ricky Gervais-esque desire to be the most offensive as possible within ninety minutes, Byrne’s show is a welcome relief.

The 43-year-old does not take himself too seriously. Opening the show by recounting the times he has failed on stage, sets the audience’s expectations surprisingly low for the rather well known comedian. With his many television appearances (most notably on the BBC show Mock the Week) you would be hard pressed to find an audience member who did not know who he was. However, Byrne seems to see himself as an unknown force in comedy, and this humility initially comes across as a rather unsure first few jokes. However, after the first ten minutes, Byrne is most obviously in his element.

this most recent routine would not be out of place in the common rooms of the Sociology department

Byrne repeatedly distances himself from the notion of being politically correct, but this most recent routine would not be out of place in the common rooms of the Sociology department. (This is a compliment.) He skewers ideas of slut-shaming and gender conformity, all whilst peppering in a healthy dose of scatological humour.

There is something rather humanising about Byrne’ reassuring exploration of his most uncomfortable experiences, from pinpointing the exact moments previous dates have gone awry, to the understandable pain of a trip to the doctors. The audience can laugh over the course of the show whilst placing themselves in the shoes of the approachable and now comfortably humble Byrne.

promotes some interesting discussion in the Arts Centre café

Byrne does trip and stumble a few times, both physically over an impressively tangled microphone cord, and in comedy terms, when the audience participation element of the show fails to gain steam. He does manage to recover from the surprisingly stoic audience, but it is clear to tell that a portion of his momentum got lost. However, a tactically placed interval soothes the mood suitably for the second half of the show, and promotes some interesting discussion in the Arts Centre café.

It’s nice comedy. It’s by no means harmless, with jokes made at the expense of bankers, Audi drivers and Andy Murray within the first five minutes of Byrne pacing along the stage of the Butterworth Hall.  But it is not a show made at the expense of those already trodden on by society. It is feel-good comedy, and it is refreshingly unthreatening as he manages to succeed in finding the happy medium between adult humour and the crude.

regardless of topic, the comedian is hilarious

Admittedly, if one peered closer at the structure of the evening, it could be faulted at the lack of overarching theme and a lack of consistency in topics. Byrne does change subject frequently, but regardless of topic, the comedian is hilarious. A lesser comedian would not be capable of Byrne’s routine, but he excels.

Ed Byrne reminds us what comedy ought to be about, and with a surprisingly heart-warming ending, Outside Looking In left the audience entertained and smiling. It is a show worth going out in the middle of the week for.