Stephen Mullan: Son of a Preacher Man – Smock Alley – Review

First Fortnight Festival 2019

Run is now finished – ended January 5th, 2019

This is a stand up show where Stephen Mullan tells us about his unusual upbringing! Stephen was born to an Irish father and an Argentinian mother. As a child, he was very proud of his father and didn’t see anything noteworthy about his job. He laughed at the other kids when they said their father was a van driver or a plumber. Stephen’s dad was a bit special, as he was a Born again Christian preacher!

This production is Stephen’s first comedy show and he seems a natural on the stage. The show was originally part of the Dublin Fringe Festival last year and was included in the First Fortnight Festival due to the show’s emphasis on depression and mental illness. Stephen’s tale is one of hope as he has battled depression and came out the other side! There is a small amount of audience interaction, as he delves into the background of the crowd.

The show takes us through his entire life, starting with his early years in Cork and later arriving in Dublin, along with his battles with depression and suicide. It would not normally be a tale that would strike you as natural stand-up comedy material, but Stephen pumps the story with gags and his unusual view of the world. As this show uses so much of his own personal background, it will be interesting to see where he goes next, but the performance does give a great insight into this outsider in Irish society.