-By Widgett Walls

Westbeth Entertainment is doing a great service to those of us on this side of the pond.  Where America’s brightest comic talents are making tired family friendly atrocities, asking for so much per film that the films collapse into the salary gravity well or inexplicably fleeing the country just when things actually seem to be working out for them, we’re dying for an infusion of really, really funny shit.

Westbeth’s strategy is so terrifyingly simple, it beggars explanation as to why it hasn’t been done  before.  It’s this: Britain has plenty of comedy–let’s import some of theirs.

And as I said, it’s about damn time.  Fans of the likes of Connolly, Eddie Izzard, and Bill Bailey have been having to make do with snagging Region 2 DVD releases and seeing whatever BBC America feels like showing on any given day of the week.  There’s no reason why these folks can’t come over here and do well for themselves.

Speaking of Connolly, that’s who were in New York to see.  And the 37 Arts Theatre is an incredible venue to see someone like Connolly.  The only trouble with such an intimate setting is that the comic has enough energy to power a medium-sized Asian nation, so the audience is in danger of flashburn at all times.

And Connolly did not disappoint: from talking about taking his grandson to see a parade on Malta (Holy Week Parade–whups: “They killed Baby Jesus?”) to ragging on Braveheart some more (bravo!) to the bliss of being married (“I didn’t get married, I was taken hostage!”), he was there and he was on for two solid hours.  And I would really appreciate the opportunity to diagram the train of thought that he must go through: he really does tangent all to hell and somehow manage (sometimes with the help of the audience) to get back to where he left off.

Honestly, after seeing this–in a standing room only venue–I don’t see why he doesn’t do a tour of the U.S.  Hell, if you absolutely must, as amusing as I think the Blue Collar Comedy Tour can be at times, Connolly with some others would make a tour that would blow their collective tractor out of the corn field.

…..Yeah, that metaphor works.  Moving on.  Congrats to Westbeth for what looked like a solid and successful run.  Now…Dylan Moran?  Please?

 

 

 

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