Comedian Dara O Briain heads to Birmingham Hippodrome

As host of Mock The Week, Star Gazing Live, Robot Wars and Go8Bit, he connects with millions of viewers.

And fans can catch one of the most charismatic, intelligent, fast-talking and downright funny live performers working today in his brand new show for 2018 when he visits Birmingham’s Hippodrome Theatre from Thursday until March 3.

The television presenter’s brand new show, Voice Of Reason, promises the intelligent, no-frills humour that we have come to know and love from seeing him on our screens.

The Irish comedian studied maths and theoretical physics at University College, Dublin, and has presented shows like Stargazing Live alongside Brian Cox, and Dara Ó Briain: School of Hard Sums.

Dara has also previously released five classic stand-up DVDs with Universal Pictures; Crowd Tickler, Craic Dealer, This Is The Show, Dara O Briain Talks Funny Live In London and Dara O Briain Live at the Theatre Royal – all of which have also aired on BBC TV as one-hour specials.

The star has earned generous reviews from some of the nation’s toughest critics with The Evening Standard writing: “A superfit mind that is so fast you have to wear your best trainers to keep up with it.”

The Guardian said: “His set is a masterclass in intelligent, no-frills stand-up.”

The Times added: ““If you want a comic who can hold an audience in the palm of his hand for two hours, here’s your man.”

And The Telegraph wrote: “The Irishman’s way of handling his audience, comedic neurons firing away by the billion a second, has to be seen to be believed.”

Dara’s earliest memories aren’t related to comedy. In fact, they are related to a brilliant gift.

“It’s a red train set that I recall being given round about my fourth birthday that neither of my parents remember. To this day, I have no idea if I wanted that train set so much I just willed it into existence.”

embarrassing

His comedy focuses on the things that have happened in his life and embarrassing moments have been mined for comedy. “To a huge extent I go, “Fantastic! Here I am naked in the hotel corridor; this will keep my family fed for another year.”

He’s happily married and counts his wedding ring as his most treasured possession. “It’s actually two rings and it spins because it’s got ball bearings in it. I don’t know what I’d do if I didn’t have this tiny toy to play with.”

Dara is a voracious reader and lists his favourite book as being In Search Of Schrödinger’s Cat by John Gribbin. “It was a brilliant piece of popular science writing that I read when I was 15. I could say A Brief History Of Time, but I was already a massive nerd by the time I read that.”

He had a number of jobs before settling into comedy and when he was 18, he was a barman in a tough pub run by an angry man in his home town.

A naturally relaxed performer, he’s had a few hairy experiences through his comedy career, including

almost drowning for Comic Relief. “We were rafting down the Zambezi and we were thrown from the boat. I ended up in hospital.”

He lists his greatest achievement as eking out work and is kept awake at night by the rare opportunity to have his house to himself.

Dara is a confident performer and is not hounded by the levels of insecurity that some comics have.

“I haven’t got any trophies, you know. Getting one makes zero difference to your life; it’s much better to get work.

“Take the Perrier [comedy award], it looms over whatever you do, but the year I thought I might be getting the call, I’d just done a TV series, so apparently was too big for it, because it’s supposed to be a newcomer’s award. Dave Gorman said to me: ‘The whole point of your career is to become ineligible for the Perrier.’ Anyway, some of these awards you want and a lot are just things you get for attending’’

Dara’s love of science is well known and he studied at University College, Dublin, which invited him back to receive the James Joyce Award.

“I have tremendous admiration for scientists, but I ran off to the circus.

“I know I wouldn’t have had the dedication that’s required to do their work.”

However, Dara has met a number of his science heroes, including his childhood hero Stephen Hawking, whom he encountered for a BBC documentary.

He has also appeared on all manner of TV shows, including The Apprentice: You’re Fired, which he presented for five years.

“It was a great show to be funny on, but I was right to step away when I did. There’s only so many ways you can ask: ‘How did you misprice the bananas?’

“If I ever hear that theme music again . . . it’s ruined Prokofiev for me; I was at the Proms and they started playing Romeo and Juliet and it was traumatic, I had flashbacks.”