It must be something in the air on the Suir-string or a special funny bone our ancestors gave us but Waterford has a unique comedy style. Last week we had the Blaah of books, For Focal Sake! And now my humour pot runneth over with two hilarious offerings.
Frank Ryan
You will love the colourful style of cover and style of jokes of Perry’s… Rib Ticklers, complied and illustrated by Frank Ryan. Originally from The Glen, he is a tiler by trade with a lifelong interest in stand-up comedy. The illustrations by the author puts this book in a special category especially the virtual pun in Traffic Jam and Dressed Crab.
Ryan, in the tradition of Hal Roach, who also published a series of Casey jokes, has a set of comic characters like his alter ego Perry who is the life and soul of any party. There are his butties, The Millar and the humorous Clothesline O’Brien.
You can dip in and out of this book and I laughed a lot and have to admit lots of them were fresh and immediate. Corny is not a word Ryan uses. The range of observation of good and there are some oldies but goldies in political incorrect Paddy the Irishman child.
You will love this book. Give a large slice of Waterford comedy as a present this Christmas, of Frank Ryan’s book.
Breda And Bernie
Forget yer Gift Grub and Nob Nation and get your laughing gear around the Best Of Bernie And Bernie CD. There is nothing quite like the Waterford nostalgic humour, first heard with Konor Halpin on WLRfm.
This is class stuff in typical honest to goodness Waterford humour in glorious Waterford accents. Halpin just prompts these two who chatter away as if oblivious of the mayhem they create. Not only is it gloriously nostalgic but it is topical with a great take on Madonna and her divorce.
Recorded live at Breda’s Alterations in Lisduggan Shopping Centre, this is unique stuff. Bernie Hayes comes across as a glorious and scatty grannie full of commonplace wisdom and unconscious humour that is the fun of truth and the accuracy of first class comedy.
Breda Lucas is a scream with her asides and comments on people. Never hurtful and always salty and salt of the earth, she exposes the efforts people go to keep Up with the Jones.
Highlights of twenty sequences are Coffin Dodgers, Accents and Botox. Bernie turns tears to laughter and pain to pleasure through believable comments. Breda is a scream about Decking and Virgins and Women’s tatooes. I laughed so much at the discussion about designer tattooes in strange places and these two women have great laughs. Their laughter is a tonic in itself and a great gift at anytime.
