Rte documentary on tiernans improvised shows

In his Meath Chronicle Inspire magazine interview some months back, Navan comedian Tommy Tiernan spoke of how his improvised shows were going down. On RTE this Monday night, a one-hour observational documentary, 'Tommy: To Tell You The Truth' follows Tommy as he takes to the road, travelling across nine European countries – Latvia, Sweden, Germany, Finland, Austria, Holland, France, Switzerland and Belgium – on a whistle-stop tour.  

It's no ordinary tour. Each night when he steps on stage, Tommy will be improvising from scratch. No preparation. No routine. Each location is the edge of a cliff. Not one to sit back and coast, this tour will take Tommy out of his comfort zone and reconnect him to the energy and buzz of his early days as a rising comic almost 20 years ago. In each of the cities he performs, Tommy will be playing to a new audience. He can’t rely on a ‘home’ crowd. The European audience will judge him on his material, on this performance alone.

Why would he embark on this punishing routine? Why would he risk jeopardising his reputation for 12 consecutive nights in front of crowds of between 150 and 500 paying punters? Tommy is a natural story-teller, articulate and intelligent with a great instinct for the hidden depths in everyday life but he is convinced that his road lies in giving up control, in living in the moment and being open to what is possible. It’s a recipe for an intriguing show; one of great humour and freewheeling wildness.

'Tommy: To Tell You The Truth' screens on RTE 1 at 9.35pm on Monday 29th September.