From The Laughter Lounge to The Last Leg

Adam Hills, the host of ‘The Last Leg’, returns to Ireland this week (Friday, Sept 27) for a gig at Vicar St. The 43-year-old Australian comic lived in Dublin for three years at the turn of the millennium. It was formative.

“Every week, I would go to the Laughter Lounge, even if I wasn’t on, just to watch the acts and to hang out. It was a really tight comedy fraternity, almost a comedy alumni that went through, at that point. We all used to live together at Edinburgh during the Fringe — Dara Ó Briain, Deirdre O’Kane, David O’Doherty and myself. I remember, there was always vegemite in the house. We were all at the same point — starting out in Edinburgh, with two or three years under our belts, in our late 20s, and starting to get good reviews.”

Hills was shortlisted for three years running — 2001, 2002 and 2003 — for the comedy award at Edinburgh. He says another nominee from 2000, the English comic, Lee Mack, is the most naturally funny comedian off-stage.