Refuge Benefit Performance
Light Entertainment Review:
Comedy Store The Stage 08/11/2001 NEIL DOWDEN

This night of comedy to mark the 30th birthday of Refuge - the charity that helps women and children suffering from domestic violence - was a celebratory affair.
All credit to Gerry Kennedy for organising the event and for acting as an amiably self-deprecating MC. Evidently nervous but delighted with the positive response of the audience, he introduced a strong line-up.

The ventriloquist Paul Zerdin is no dummy. Not only does he have a superb technique, his characters are genuinely funny. His own mild-mannered, unassuming air is offset by the aggressive antics of his rebellious children, to whom he acts as longsuffering parent. A ventriloquist for the South Park generation.

The variable Stewart Lee was on good form. Starting off with a reference to the current war on terrorism, he held the audience in nervous suspense until the pay-off line prompted laughter of relief. His quasi-philosophical meanderings became a bit too tortuous at times but his particular form of cynical humour is certainly original.

Donna McPhail undoubtedly knows how to work an audience. Her spikey approach always gets a response but she over-relied on shock tactics. She only has three real subjects - sex, drink and. . . sex - and apart from a few telling observations on differences in the female/male psyche, her material simply was not strong enough.

The star of the night was the masterly Ardal O'Hanlon. His stand-up persona is not that of the eejit priest Father Dougal but there is a similarity in his wideeyed, almost childlike incomprehension of the absurdities of modern life. There is surely noone better for raising laughter - and thus awareness and money - for Refuge.