Comedy: Andrew Maxwell

In a festival awash with cheeky, affable Irishmen, Andrew Maxwell stands supreme. He is, quite simply, a natural.

In the middle of his massive Pleasance stage, the laidback Dubliner perches nonchalantly on his black stool, completely at home in front of another 300-plus sell-out crowd. As he freely admits, this year’s show (Waxin') is a pretty loose affair, descending – by the end – into another amusing installment of Maxwell’s trademark ‘year-in-the-life’ comedy.

Amongst gay swimming adventures and much theological reflection, the highlight of Maxwell’s 2007, thus far, appears to be the moment he called Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern a "motherfucker" live on Irish TV. In normal circumstances, such an unruly outburst would be swiftly edited out. However, since this particular episode was aired during the recent election campaign, Maxwell’s cursing was deemed “legitimate political commentary.” The result, amongst other things, has been an awkward non-verbal interaction with Mr Ahern and a dangerous drunken offer from the IRA.

Unlike other comedians, the strength of Maxwell’s long, meandering, tangent-ridden stories is that they’re not just beautifully observed, but almost certainly all true. Giggling throughout, his stand-up so effortless, candid and fun, this is Maxwell at his finest – the consummate comic headliner.

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