March: Comedian Of The Month #26, John Moloney
Each Comedian of the Month on MoodyComedy is a comic who has never previously featured on the website. Reasons for selection can include various current projects the comedian is involved with, or perhaps recent appearances on television programmes or podcasts. There is no strict criteria however, as Comedian of the Month simply stands as a collection of recommendations, highlighting interesting and original aspects of certain comedians and their work.
March’s Comedian of the Month is a well-experienced performer on the stand up comedy circuit, an act who brings with him a peculiar veil of calm suggesting the reassurance of experience.
London-born stand up John Moloney speaks in a markedly droll, downbeat tone, often reacting as though he cannot comprehend why audiences find him amusing. A front, of course, because with a back-catalogue of strong one-liners, this comedian is certainly confident in his material and taking his time with the delivery allows the impact of each to hit harder. With a skill for multi-layered observation, Moloney’s comedy caters to a wide range of audiences, entertaining those who are content with an arguably more simplistic joke-writing formation whilst also pleasing those with an eye for detail. This shows a self-assuredness to his performance, demonstrating an ability to put audiences at ease.
It is no surprise, then, that he was included in Channel 4’s list of ‘100 Greatest Stand Ups’ back in 2006, but this makes it all the more frustrating to note that this comic is not a regular face on television. Moloney, it can be argued, fits within a strange sub-category of acts in the comedy industry, as a comedian with very accessible material, yet who isn’t given the platform to reach the full extent of that potential audience.
There is no shame in being a crowd-pleaser and a new face on the television circuit is always welcomed by the majority of us, particularly as I feel increasingly bored to see the same faces on every panel show and variety show out there. There are enough acts to choose from, surely we can afford to change it up a little bit by now?
For more information, visit John Moloney’s website and follow him on Twitter.