Electric Picnic is really two festivals

LCD, Lana Del Rey and a woman in a Santa Hat stood out in Stradbally for Ed Power

More than 50,000 music fans will this weekend converge on Laois village Stradbally for Electric Picnic, the 13th outing of the music and arts festival.

Irish comedian Dylan Moran had a bumper year last year when accumulated profits at his entertainment firm almost doubled to £1.397m (€1.66m).

Friday evening, London — and my eldest son is discussing the provisions he has made for our entertainment this weekend.

We bring you a round up of all the latest news and reviews from the world of entertainment. 

US comedian Marc Maron tells Richard Fitzpatrick about the time Barack Obama came for a chat in his garage.

David O’Doherty is back at Edinburgh with a new show, but the Irish comedian has also been busy writing a new children’s book, writes Hannah Stephenson.

Bill Bailey talks Darwin’s adventures and rubber bishops with Richard Fitzpatrick

His love of Cork audiences will see comedian Neil Delamere record his upcoming live DVD at the city’s Everyman theatre, writes Richard Fitzpatrick

Dylan Moran, Co Meath comedian and one of the stars of hit movie Calvary, was sitting on a cash pile of €1.1m at the end of July 2014.

Comedian’s chatshow podcast, An Irishman Abroad, has 1m listeners a week, writes Richard Fitzpatrick

It’s the home-spun box office draw of the year, grossing almost €1.5m in just over a month — but then it does have the Gleeson factor.

One of the stars of hit movie Calvary and veteran on the stand-up circuit, Dylan Moran was sitting on a cash pile of €1.095m at the end of July last.

Calvary ***

Jarlath Regan, who will perform a rare Irish gig at the Mill Theatre in Dublin on Sunday (Dec 22), grew up in the Curragh, Co Kildare. His father’s a horse trainer, but the stand-up comic doesn’t have much time for the creatures.

I’M from a town in Co Clare. If I was around in that town 50 years ago, and got it into my head to make a movie, I can’t imagine where I would start.

IT could be argued that the spectre of Dick Rowe hangs over every arts programmer. Rowe famously rejected The Beatles in 1961; for the programmer, especially the short film programmer who has to sift through thousands of shorts each year, how can we safeguard against such calamitous decision making? Truth is, we can’t.

The opening scenes of Tony Palmer’s documentary, Bird on a Wire, about Leonard Cohen’s five-week European tour in 1972 — which began in Dublin — show security manhandling concertgoers in Tel Aviv. Cohen coos softly, in his Quebecker drawl, into a microphone: “I know you’re trying to do your job, but you don’t have to do it with your fists.”

Irish comedian Dylan Moran has signed a deal with ABC studios in the US to create, write, and star in the pilot episode of a planned new series.

There will be some very familiar faces at the Literary Tent at this weekend’s Electric Picnic festival.

I’VE OFTEN been asked what underpins my attraction to Simon Cowell — bad taste in men, a potential styling project, weird Machiavellian fetish.

Comedian Dylan Moran had a stellar year in 2012, with new figures showing accumulated profits at his British-based entertainment firm increased more than four fold to €1.2m.

From film to visual art, from theatre to pop, our critics pick the highlights of the year in arts

THERE’S nothing like a bit of death’s door to file the point on a Christmas memory and keep its edges sharp.

Saturday

On Saturday in Istanbul, ‘A Film With Me In It’, starring Dylan Moran, Mark Doherty, Keith Allen and Amy Huberman won the Special Jury Prize at the 28th International Istanbul Film Festival.

Actor Michael Fassbender has been crowned Best Actor in a Lead Role at this year's Irish Film and Television Awards.

Oops, accidents will happen. Too often for the hapless Mark (Doherty) in this funny, inventive and body-strewn comedy.

The Irish film industry will be in the international shop window at the Cannes Film Festival, which begins on Wednesday.

In need of a good laugh and want to support a good cause? Try Amnesty International’s The Secret Policeman’s Ball (Warner Vision, €24.99) a rollercoaster ride of slapstick humour.

A former BBC comedy writer won the prestigious Perrier Award with a show in which she plays eight different characters, it was announced today.

The Bulmers International Comedy Festival returns to Dublin for its second year with American Denis Leary confirmed to appear in his only European performance.

Top comedians from Ireland and abroad will perform at 20 separate venues at the second Bulmers International Comedy Festival, it emerged today.

Niall Murray

IRISH comedian Dave Allen has died at the age of 68, his agent said yesterday.

Shaun of the Dead is a low-key British film which comes out of the current strengths of TV. It's funny and clever and well played by a strong cast.

COMIC Dylan Moran and British Prime Minister Tony Blair’s former spin doctor Alistair Campbell are set to be the star attractions at this year’s Cathedral Quarter Arts Festival in Belfast.

The Actors gives Michael Caine a rare opportunity to display his considerable comic talents.

With such a sterling cast to work with, McPherson brings us a cleverly constructed tale of two no-hope actors - Caine and Moran - who set out, Sting-like, to pull a con on a hood (Gambon) who has been a bit of a menace.

Michael Caine only realised how attractive his legs were when he pulled on a pair of tights and heels for his latest comedy role.

Michael Caine only realised how attractive his legs were when he pulled on a pair of tights and heels for his latest comedy role.