Jarlath Reagan - Man of Very Little Mystery

On the first day of a new job, you would expect that allowances would be made for any small mistakes you might make. Similarly, in the world of stand-up, comedians expect cynical reviewers to turn a blind eye to slip-ups made in the first performances of a new show.

However this rule only applies to the most obvious of gaffes, those that can be ironed out quickly, such as fluffing the odd punchline and being a bit off in your timing. The problem with Man of Very Little Mystery, a brand new show from Jarlath Reagan, is that you suspect it’s not teething problems that result in the rather flat performance, but the material itself.

The theme of the show is the recession (or at least it is for the first fifteen minutes), and Reagan’s belief that in times of crisis the best way to cope is to “focus on the small things in life”. Which is fair enough, but this is a stand-up gig, not a self-help class, and people are here to laugh, which they have little opportunity to do. The best moments come from Reagan’s interaction with his audience, but his stock material is far too predictable and somewhat lacking in structure. Stories about sat-nav systems and the differences between lads’ and ladies’ nights out just don’t cut it in 2009.

This is an immense shame, as Reagan is an instantly likeable guy who's obviously capable of elliciting laughs, but this show just seems ill-thought out and poorly executed.