Rob Delaney at the Royal Festival Hall

Rob Delaney is not for everyone. But those who enjoy dark humour are certain to love him. The American comedian has become a big hit over the last few years, especially due to his legendary Twitter feed and his brilliant Channel 4 show with Sharon Hogan, Catastrophe.   

Aisling Bea warms up the crowd and is as wonderfully fun as ever. She provides a slightly safer style of comedy to kick off the night and when she’s finished the entire audience is desperate for more. Everyone falls in love with Aisling’s bubbly, straight-talking Irish charm and immediately wants to be her friend.

Rob Delaney then rocks up on stage to blast the audience with hilarious darker jokes. From the very beginning, he confidently tells stories that some audience members don’t know whether it’s ok to laugh at. It’s all a bit sudden and takes the crowd a little while to warm up to it, but once they have everyone is in hysterics for the rest of the night.

Jokes about wives and children make up a good portion of the set, as with a number of comedians; though Delaney’s blacker humour gives him the freedom to go to places that others can’t and ultimately provides a completely fresh night of entertainment, despite some stories sounding like familiar tropes. On top of that there are a few recent references thrown in that make the show feel relevant.

Of course, Delaney rides a clever line – he’s never too dark and his comedy still has a mainstream appeal. It’s intelligently written and performed fantastically well to have the entire Royal Festival Hall laughing along for hours. Delaney is brilliantly funny and although not everyone will appreciate his style, those that do will immediately be roaring. It’s clear to see how he’s become one of this generation’s heavyweights of comedy.

  

Jim Compton-Hall

Rob Delaney was on at the Royal Festival Hall on 12^th and 13^th May 2016, for further information visit here.