Chris Kent: Bright spark swaps the building site for the comedy stage 

During the covid era, Cork comedian Chris Kent had to go back to his work as an electrician, but he's delighted to be back doing stand-up full-time 

Chris Kent headlines the Jokes for Stroke comedy event in the Everyman in Cork in April. Picture: Steve Ullathorne

Chris Kent’s comedy career came to a shuddering halt in March 2020. The arrival of Covid-19 drew a veil across the performing arts. Work dried up for Kent and other stage performers when a series of lockdowns meant that venues in the UK – where he was living at the time – and Ireland shuttered.

It was an acute blow for Kent, as his career was taking off after a decade grafting in smaller clubs. He was in the middle of a big tour, which included his debut gig at Vicar Street in Dublin, a holy site for stand-up comedians. He’d spent a year writing his show and six months promoting it. He’d already spent the money from ticket sales in his head. Then everything went kaput.