Unsmiling Dee back to make you laugh

Jack Dee is back on the road.

The English comedian, known for his miserable persona, and his “lemon-sucking” face, has returned to the stage after a six-year hiatus, including two gigs at the Cork Opera House.

Dee has noticed changes on the circuit — it’s more professional; the venues are better, smarter. This is not necessarily good. “The places that I least enjoy playing,” he says, “are those very fancy, new concert halls. The seats are too comfortable for the audience. You want a sort of sticky-carpet environment, with spilt beer — that’s when stand-up is at its best. I was playing in Australia, where a comedian told me he played this venue where no one laughed. It was in the middle of nowhere, in the outback. The guy organising it said, ‘That was a great gig. Thank you.’ He replied, ‘What do you mean — that was a great gig? No one laughed.’ And he said, ‘We don’t laugh here. Everyone goes along and keeps quiet. They’re listening to see if it starts raining. If it starts raining, they have to run out to their cars and start driving home. Everyone comes from about 400 miles away. They drive in their trucks. If they get caught in the rain, they’ll be stranded. Everyone goes to the gig and agrees to remain quiet during the show’.”