Dylan Moran left school without qualifications or any idea of what he was going to do with his life. Therefore its seems strange that years later he is one of the most successful comedians working in the UK today, having appeared in countless television programmes and movies, as well as embarking on many sell out tours.
It all started with a visit to the Comedy Cellar in Dublin where he witnessed Ardal O’Hanlon performing. Aged 20, Moran was inspired to give it a go himself and by the age of 24 he became the youngest recipient of the prestigious Perrier Award at 1996’s Edinburgh Fringe Festival. That year is reported to have been one of the closest calls in the competition’s history, with Moran narrowly winning out over comedy superstar Bill Bailey. By 1997, Moran was embarking on his first major UK tour in the form of Gurgling For Money.
Moran would come face to face with Bailey again when the pair both appeared in Black Books, in which the Irish comedian’s awkward, angry and somewhat drunken persona was amplified into the character of Bernard Black, the aggravated bookshop owner with a penchant for wine. He penned the show with Father Ted writer Graham Linehan and it became a cult favourite as people tuned in to witness Black berating everyone he came into contact with, including his hapless assistant Manny (Bailey). Since then he has continued acting in various roles and has appeared in many movies, including The Actors, opposite Michael Caine (2003), Shaun of the Dead (2004), A Cock and Bull Story, opposite Rob Brydon and Steve Coogan (2006) and Run Fatboy, Run (2007).
But it is onstage that Moran really shines and he has proven this with a string of sell out shows including Monster I, Monster II and Like, Totally – the latter two both being released on DVD. Next up is this current show in the form of What It Is, which appears in London following a UK tour that has taken in many venues across the country, including the Edinburgh Playhouse, the Birmingham Alexandra Theatre and the Manchester Opera House.
Dylan Moran: What It Is appears at the Apollo Theatre on Shaftesbury Avenue from Monday 26th October 2009 to Saturday 5th December 2009.