Interview

Dylan Moran

We find out happens when you wake up a tired Irish comedian

Dylan Moran has been woken up from a nap for this interview. He’s just finished the UK leg of touring his new show Off the Hook (his first stand-up show in four years), he’s knackered, and he’s not in love with the media at the best of times. We’re half expecting a rant à la Bernard Black (his misanthropic and yet oddly endearing character in TV’s Black Books). Instead, he’s unstintingly polite and wryly funny. Take our discussion about the way that bastard age creeps up on you. “It’s like you’re a hotel and suddenly one day everyone’s moved in and you’ve been vandalised,” Moran says.

Moran was never going to end up in a desk job, but the fact that he chose comedy was regarded as an aberrant career path. “Twenty years ago, it wasn’t the kind of thing that people thought of as a job choice,” he says. “Back then, it was just a thing that kind of happened. It was like going to a party and waking up with three other people in the bath and one of you is holding a chicken and you don’t know how it happened. You know?”

The content of Moran’s shows always changes depending on which country he’s in. Sometimes he engages with local mates to get the lowdown. He has yet to start his reconnaissance for Australia, although he always keeps an ear out for what’s happening down under. “There’s no point in me arriving in Sydney or Adelaide and talking about the last two years in UK politics – who gives a stuff?” While Moran’s made it clear in previous interviews that Black Books will never be reprised, is there any chance that he’ll team up with Bill Bailey for something else? “Well, Bill’s a wonderful performer, writer, comedian and guy – he’s super talented. If I was going to work with someone again soon I’d be delighted if Bill was involved.” We live in hope. State Theatre 49 Market St, Sydney 2000. 02 9373 6852. www.abpresents.com. au. 8pm. $79.90$89.90. Jul 18-21.

“It’s like going to a party and waking up in a bath with three other people and one of you is holding a chicken”