NORTHSIDE comedian Colum Tyrrell is one of the stars of a new two-part TV3 documentary series, ‘The Stand Ups’.
Originally from Beaumont, Tyrrell quickly became one of Ireland’s most promising comedians before moving to New York in 2014, a move he insists pushed him into fully stand up comedy as a career.
“Nothing was happening for me over here,” he explains. “I was drinking and partying and then one day, I thought, I can either quit or I can start working hard.
“It was always just something I liked doing and was passionate about. It was only recently that I said I’d actually put the work in that it deserves.”
‘The Stand Ups’, which first aired last Saturday, follows the paths of four Irish comedians as they attempt to establish themselves as stand up comedians, highlighting all of the hard work required off stage.
“It shows all the stuff behind the scenes,” Tyrrell adds. “People just think you go to on stage and say some stuff you thought about, but you say that stuff a thousand times before the crowd hears it.”
Tyrrell now performs in some of New York’s most prestigious clubs and venues and can perfectly sum up the difference between the Irish and American comedy scenes.
“There are still comedy clubs I haven’t even been to here in New York,” he says. “There’s so much going on but it’s tougher at the bottom. In Ireland, the bottom is a better place to be but there are only so many audience members you can get.”
While Tyrrell plans to continue working in New York for the next few years, he will be plying his trade closer to home at this year’s Edinburgh Fringe Festival.
The second and concluding episode of ‘The Stand Ups’ will be broadcast on TV3 this Saturday, April 23, at 10.25pm.
Daniel O’Connor
