JARLATH REGAN has a legion of fans thanks to a hugely successful podcast series.
Going strong more than 10 years now, his Irishman Abroad episodes, and their various extensions (Irishman Running Abroad, Irishman in the US), never fail to deliver.
For those of you who haven’t listened (where have you been?), think high calibre Irish guests, great craic and plenty of good gags.
But at the moment he is back doing his day job.
Regan has come out from his podcast studio and into the light. The stage light that is.
As good as he is a podcaster, the Kildare native is a standup comedian by trade.
When he came to London over ten years ago, it was to find his feet on the comedy circuit.
And while that trip inspired his award-winning podcast series - which probably went on to take up far more of his time than he expected – it also saw him carve a place for himself on the comedy scene.
Over a decade later, he is a regular at comedy festivals and has several tours under his belt.
Currently he is bringing his Yer Man show to venues across Britain and Ireland.
Jarlath Regan is currently touring Britain and Ireland (Pic: Ruth Medjber)We caught him at the Radlett Theatre in Hertfordshire over the weekend, where, with his laid-back yet lofty stance, he proved the perfect fit.
There is something reassuringly familiar about Regan.
When he takes to the stage, casual but smart with the flash of a Simpsons t-shirt showing under his denim jacket, he looks like he could be your cousin.
The funny one, who loves the craic.
There are no gimmicks, no props, just Regan, a microphone, a bottle of water and a chair which he never actually sits on.
He simply arrives and starts making the room roar.
Regan traverses the stage throughout the gig. Back and forth, telling his tales, watching the audience lap it up.
Wherever you are in the room, near or far, no one is forgotten.
He can see them all, includes them all and the audience loves him for it.
To be fair he had a fair few of them on side from the outset.
There were a large number of Irish people in the room, some very definitely fans, so the first whisper of his Irish accent brought a satisfied murmur among the rows.
But what came next was universally enjoyable – 90 minutes of jaw-achingly funny anecdotes which spanned every topic imaginable.
Married life, Joe Biden, ripping the piss out of your children to prepare them to move back to Ireland, the truth about Irish mammies - there was nothing that was out of bounds.
Having not been to a comedy gig for a while, I forgot what it felt like to cry in public, through laughter.
Luckily, I wasn’t the only one doing it.
Time flew, the gags landed and a very good laugh was had by all.
If you’re after a great night out, Regan’s yer man.
Jarlath Regan brings his Yer Man tour to the O2 Shepherds Bush Empire in London on Friday, March 8. Click here for full gig listings and tickets.
