
โThe theme of the new show is Feral Cats Getting Older and Emotional Eatingโ, laughs Bernard OโShea when Limerick Post Newspaper made an early morning phone call to interrogate the comedian and star of RTEโs โRepublic of Tellyโ.
The hapless roving reporter and Georgia Salpaโs love interest on RTรโs popular โRepublic of Tellyโ, Bernard OโShea makes his dรฉbut at UCH Limerick returning to his first love, stand-up.
The fifth season of โRepublic of Tellyโ is back on TV screens on Mondays. Earlier this year Dermot Whelan announced he would no longer be presenting the show. Comedian Kevin McGahern has taken over as host. McGahern is best known for his role as Sim Card on RTEโs โHardy Bucksโ and also appeared on television adverts for Three Ireland.
Bernard told Limerick Post, โKevin is excellent, Iโll miss Dermot but it is good to work with someone new as well. It is a great show to work on. The show has morphed into being based around the three presenters.โ
Bernardโs stand up show will feature new songs and new routines all delivered in his own surreal comedic style. Among his comedic heroes from his formative years is Limerickโs owns sultans of the surreal, DโUnbelievables. They toured the country and produced a very successful series of comedy videos in the 90โs. In a comedy landscape of mostly imported talent and sitcoms from the UK and US, Jon Kenny and Pat Shorttโs double act celebrated the madcap antics of life in rural Limerick. Bernard remembers: โIt was the first time you saw culchie types doing comedy really. I knew those characters. They were, for me, an Irish League of Gentlemen. Sketches like โA Simple oul Saladโ were brilliant. It was unashamedly culchie.โ
โRepublic of Tellyโ airs every Monday on RTร Two at 9:30pm. Bernard OโShea performs on Thursday November 7 at University Concert Hall, 8pm.