Dylan Moran, the famously curmudgeonly connoisseur of misery, seems more playful on this recent stand-up show, Dr Cosmos. He’s almost even- whisper it!- quite relaxed here, where before his stage persona was somewhat more akin to his beloved perma-grump alter ego, Bernard Black.
Yes indeed, here, he’s quite smiley, even if the targets remain the same: idiotic politicians ( ” I’m not watching the news until they change the cast”) everyday grievances and family foibles. And his storytelling, full of warmth and whimsy, still contains his lyrical absurdist rants and home truths. He admires his (then)wife’s ability to do everything adult while he’s brought along as”the playmate, speaking the language of man” at dinner parties, “discussing the best route for not killing badgers on the way home”.
Essentially, it’s Dylan 2.0, searching for meaning in an increasingly divided planet. What’s the answer? “We look to people like David Attenborough to find meaning” , he smiles. ‘Within minutes, I’m shouting at a sea spomge on TV, ‘Yes, yes, you’re just like me- you hate mornings,and have no abs too'”…
There are a couple of surprises here – when did he became such a brilliant mimic? – and even some material written by his family. Time may have mellowed his stage presence then,but his material is still as sharp and serrated as a kitchen knife. Plus ca change.
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