Sunday 7th July 2013 doors 7.00pm for 7.30pm start. Tickets £8 (£6)

Winner of ITV’s “Show me the Funny” 2011 and star of BBC Sport’s Relief Let’s Dance 2012, Patrick is a warm & engaging performer who will win around the hardest of hearts with his hilarious routines and audience participation. Don’t miss out on seeing this rising star in our intimate venue.

Hear what everyone’s saying about him!

Without doubt a man who can do funny –

The Mirror

Engaging and genuinely enlightening –

The Scotsman

a Star-In-the-making’
Daily Telegraph

“Perfect game show host. Tiggerish energy that could power the national grid”
London Evening Standard

“Born to be a stand up”
Metro

“One of the smartest comics on the Fringe”
The Scotsman

“He is simply the nicest person ever born”
Time Out

“An upbringing infused with culture clashes and his unconventional mind, Monahan is a hybrid calamity with a comic pedigree that’s all his own.”
The List (Maureen Ellis)

“the funniest show in Edinburgh”
The Guardian

“twinkl-toed, mischievous…Monahan raised the roof”
The Sun

“Bright young talent…High energy and conviction, his material is great; he’s going to go far”
Sunday Times

“He has all the charm of Ed Byrne, the energy of Adam Bloom and wild leaps of imagination that are resonant of Ross Noble”
The List (Maureen Ellis)

“This gifted livewire commands the stage with a mix of wit and force of personality”
Bruce Dessau – Evening Standard

“Charming and bounding with enthusiasm”
The List

“You might just want to smuggle him out under your coat…instantly loveable, wonderfully unique”
Metro Magazine

“Lovable stuff” 
The Independent (Julian Hall)

An interview with Patrick and a review of his show by Trudy Salandiak

The Dalai Lama of comedy – peace, harmony, cuddling.

“You either react with aggression or warmth” – Patrick Monahan on
growing up in Teeside

A comic’s life of endless touring and gruelling late nights must
surely take its toll… And what about the audiences, desperate to
interact and meet the star of the show, what a lot of energy is needed
for that kind of life…

Those were the thoughts swimming round in my head as I arrived at the
Kettering Arts Centre and Patrick Monahan bounded up the stairs to
greet us, with a huge grin and hug at the ready. Having seen Patrick
many times before, the first gig almost a decade before, taking his
first tender steps as an MC at London’s Comedy Store to prepping for
the Edinburgh fringe at Stratford years later. I was intrigued to know
how his comedy had changed – a few years more years down the road.

That first gig at the Comedy Store, it was obvious Monahan had
something special. I imagined a meteoric rise, with a name in lights,
books and huge US tours and he’s certainly had a few high-profile gigs
for Sport Relief and the comedy ‘reality show’ Show Me the Funny,
(which he won, unsurprisingly). Though not yet the brilliant success
he deserves, he seems to do pretty well.

The KAC gig was the usual mix of hugs and audience participation. The
rambling stories didn’t always end with a punch line, but you enjoyed
the journey. The intimacy of the KAC, in an old church added to the
sense of community and feeling part of a family, which is often the
feeling you get from a Monahan gig.

As we settled down to talk after a particularly sweaty gig on one of
the hottest days of the year, there was a soft quality to Patrick’s
eyes and a gentle demeanour, so I asked him where this warm nature
came from.

He seemed momentarily surprised by the question as though it was the
first time someone had picked up on the unusualness of this aspect of
his character and penchant for cuddling strangers and he hesitated. He
said it was parenting. He grew up in Teeside, and by his own admission
it was tough and great at the same, because he could choose to react
to a dangerous situation with aggression, or with humour and affection
instead. During his gig he told the story of the youth on the bus with
a boombox playing loudly, annoying fellow passengers. Sexy dance
uncomfortably near the youth – disarm with humour.

Being the daughter of two immigrants myself, I wanted to know, which
characteristics Monahan, this drug and alcohol-free comic, the son of
an Iranian mother and an Irish father inherited from his parents, “The
story-telling from my father and passion and creativity from my
mother.” When I pushed a little further to get a darker view, he
seemed reluctant to answer or was at a loss, but chose time keeping
and over-dramatisation as well. He avoids drink as he’s witnessed
first-hand the sad descent of other comics into that murky world and
has never touched a drop.

He also seemed genuinely interested in my story of being raised by
immigrant parents. Monahan is focused and hard working evidently, but
there’s no sense of ego about him. When asked about being ‘too nice’
for the showbiz world, he said, “Possibly. I could do panel shows and
be nasty about people, swearing, but that’s just not me.” We talked
about whether the tide would turn towards the popularity of ‘nice’
comics, but that seems to be a bygone age. When he was growing up, his
comic heroes were Dave Allen, Richard Pryor and Tommy Cooper, yet
there was an acerbic side to all of them I’ve never seen in Monahan.

When asked about the secret of his act, Monahan said it was “90%
personality and 10% content, at the beginning it was just all jokes,
now it’s off the cuff,” which wasn’t quite enough for those of us in
the audience who wanted a few more jokes and observational insights,
and perhaps more depth. But what keeps Monahan going is that people
keep coming to his shows, large and small. And, he gives consistent
performances, whether for an audience of children or adults, the
energy and generosity’s the same.

Monahan does a lot of charitable work.  He’s completed the Great North
Run for Zoe’s place, a children’s charity in Middlesbrough. He
certainly hasn’t forgotten his roots.

I could’ve talked all evening as his answers all seemed considered and
thoughtful, and if there was any artifice, I didn’t spot any. There
was a sense of peace too, like you’d spent some time with a good
friend. Though walking away I couldn’t help thinking that more
good-quality material could get Patrick from great to meteoric, which
is where all his fans want him to be.

Best piece of advice: “Fail to prepare, prepare to fail.”
Nicest thing anyone has said about your comedy: “Family-friendly, for everyone.”