Laughs by the Liffey
Dublin's dear old dirty Laughter Lounge has cleaned up its act, so to speak. The down-at-heel comedy venue reopened last week on Eden Quay, all shiny and new after three years and a €6 million spend by owner Peter O'Mahony. It has been designed to accommodate a range of events, he says, turning into a late-night club the minute the stand-ups have sat down. It open initially for three nights a week - Thursday-Saturday - with a different line-up every weekend. In its previous incarnation, Bill Bailey, Tommy Tiernan, Jo Brand, Dara O'Briain, Phil Jupitus, Des Bishop, Johnny Vegas, Ardal O'Hanlon and Rich Hall, among others, played here. This weekend, the line-up is rather more modest: PJ Gallagher, Dermot Whelan, Eddie Bannon and Ian Coppinger. The new auditorium includes an on-site edit suite (say that five times quickly). Prepare to be dazzled: there are fixed cameras, multimedia projectors and plasma screens, not to mention two bars, an all-important VIP room and "catering facilities". The first eight weeks will see performances by the comedians who rated highest on www.laughterlounge.com, which also contains news and booking information. Box office: 1800-266339.