A few years back at a gig in Edinburgh, Phil Kay was having terrible problems with his sound. Stopping the show, he dragged the whole audience of the venue across the road to a cafe where his soundman was trying to get something to eat. In front of the bemused soundman (and the even more bemused audience) he launched into an impromptu routine about the difficulty of getting the right sound these days. Perhaps you had to be there.
Since winning the So You Think You're Funny comedy award, the Scottish comedian has developed a reputation for exuberant and extravagant stage shows. Not for him the written material and polished delivery, instead Kay frequently arrives on stage with absolutely no idea of what he is going to say. His shows are a roller-coaster affair and when he hits it, Kay does enough to convince you that he has few equals. This is real, raw improvised comedy at its best, without any of the parlour-game studiousness of traditional comedy improv. You can catch a rare glimpse of this maverick talent when he plays Dublin's HQ venue next Monday night.
