“The theme of the new show is Feral Cats Getting Older and Emotional Eating”, laughs Bernard O’Shea when Limerick Post Newspaper made an early morning phone call to interrogate the comedian and star of RTE’s ‘Republic of Telly’.
The hapless roving reporter and Georgia Salpa’s love interest on RTÉ’s popular ‘Republic of Telly’, Bernard O’Shea makes his début at UCH Limerick returning to his first love, stand-up.
The fifth season of ‘Republic of Telly’ is back on TV screens on Mondays. Earlier this year Dermot Whelan announced he would no longer be presenting the show. Comedian Kevin McGahern has taken over as host. McGahern is best known for his role as Sim Card on RTE’s ‘Hardy Bucks’ and also appeared on television adverts for Three Ireland.
Bernard told Limerick Post, “Kevin is excellent, I’ll miss Dermot but it is good to work with someone new as well. It is a great show to work on. The show has morphed into being based around the three presenters.”
Bernard’s stand up show will feature new songs and new routines all delivered in his own surreal comedic style. Among his comedic heroes from his formative years is Limerick’s owns sultans of the surreal, D’Unbelievables. They toured the country and produced a very successful series of comedy videos in the 90’s. In a comedy landscape of mostly imported talent and sitcoms from the UK and US, Jon Kenny and Pat Shortt’s double act celebrated the madcap antics of life in rural Limerick. Bernard remembers: “It was the first time you saw culchie types doing comedy really. I knew those characters. They were, for me, an Irish League of Gentlemen. Sketches like ‘A Simple oul Salad’ were brilliant. It was unashamedly culchie.”
‘Republic of Telly’ airs every Monday on RTÉ Two at 9:30pm. Bernard O’Shea performs on Thursday November 7 at University Concert Hall, 8pm.
