Review of Ed Byrne: Pedantic and Whimsical

Introduction

If you`re like me, then you`re most likely to see stand up comics, or as they are currently addressed, observational comedians on television. They usually bring their unique brand of humorous whinging to panel shows, where within the confines of a half hour format, they can supply adlibs and witticisms galore to liven up a Friday evening`s viewing, and try to get a word in edgeways around the verbal deluge that is Jonathan Ross. But all this is like watching an animal in a zoo or a circus, caged and tormented, reigned in by a ringmaster. No, it`s far more satisfying to watch these noble beasts in their natural environment, on stage, facing a sea of hundreds baying for their blood, prone to attack at any time from the most vicious of hecklers, yet it`s an arena where they can excel, perform at their best, unfettered by the demands of network television or family friendly viewing. You don`t see that sort of thing every day on television, which makes the DVD release the next best thing to actually being there.

Ed Byrne is one of those observational type comedians, who have made a career out of complaining in an entertaining way. The worst of them use the stage as a venue for a rant, the best can paint pictures with words, taking the audience on a ride that exercises the mirth muscles. This DVD release, Pedantic and Whimsical offers me the chance to see at which end of the spectrum Ed Byrne lies.

Video

Normally at this point I would be discussing print damage, film grain, edge enhancement, or the peculiarities of a self-important director. None of that here, all you need to know is that this a digitally sourced 1.78:1 anamorphic transfer, and everything is clear as crystal. One thing that annoyed me though, was that one of the cameras had a dead pixel.

Audio

Clear as a bell. DD 2.0 English of course, and the important thing is that you don`t miss a punchline. The only downside is an absence of subtitles.

Features

The disc comes presented with animated menus, with Ed on a stool pointing out the various options. He gets impatient after a while. However, some of the menu transitions last more than a few seconds as he explains what you are about to see. Then again, you won`t really be flicking back and forth through the menu too often.

There is a small photo gallery with around 10 stills taken from the show.

There is also an Interview with Dara O` Briain that lasts 28 minutes. In it Ed and Dara watch the show, and provide an in depth, humorous analysis about the high points (some of which are included as clips). It`s comedy about comedy. It`s meta-comedy. Then again, it`s hardly a deep metaphorical analysis, as the two of them play a drinking game during the viewing. It`s a pretty good featurette though.

Not so good is the commentary. It`s basically Ed`s brother and three of his comedian peers getting together to "rip him a new arsehole" as he so eloquently puts it. Listening to four people heckle someone for 90 minutes is very Beavis and Butthead, pretty incoherent but occasionally funny.

Conclusion

There`s a point in the show when Ed Byrne uncharacteristically lapses into incoherence, after which he states wryly, "I hope no one reviews this DVD." Well, that task has befallen me regardless. Fortunately it most certainly isn`t an onerous one, as Pedantic and Whimsical provided 90 minutes of laughter last night, which had me forgetting my cares and woes while I enjoyed a show that at times bordered on the lyrical.

Usually in a comedy review, I`m tempted to recount the `good bits` as an indication of what is most appealing about the show. Then I realised that I would hate that. The last thing I would want someone to tell me is, "Oh, you must see the bit where he gets to the two nuns fighting over the donkey, and the grizzly bear porn… My sides split!"

So instead, I`ll recount as best I can my state of mind during the show. It started off well, a juxtaposition of an authority figure and profanity (Ed Byrne is one of those swearing comedians) that shocked the audience and I into laughter and merriment. And that remained the ground state for the show, a constant level of chuckles of the sort that observational comedians get when they make a point that we all recognise as being just too true. At this point, your average American audience would be screaming in the aisles, falling out of their chairs, and woofing, fists going in a circular motion (American audiences never laugh). We Brits are a little more reserved and respond with a "Bravo," and "Jolly well done that chap".

As I said, this is the ground state for the show. But Ed Byrne`s routine is densely packed, he gets through a wealth of material in the time he is on stage, and the sheer number of hearty guffaws, wheezing for breath moments, and wiping tears from the eyes, means that the knowing chuckle isn`t actually that common in this show. I actually had to go back more than once because I missed a bit for laughing too loud. And yes, when I woke up this morning, I had a faceache.

Ed Byrne isn`t one of those `paint pictures with words` comedians that I prefer, but Pedantic and Whimsical is just very, very funny. It`s just the thing if you`re in the mood for a foul-mouthed observational comic, with an air of the cheeky chappie, and with a knowing twinkle in his eye.