Much-loved comedian Ed Bryne to bring acclaimed new show about his late brother to Harrogate

If, as writer Mark Twain famously said, humour is tragedy plus time, is it possible to venture into the world of grief and loss and emerge with a funny show?

It’s that very scenario which brilliant Irish comedian Ed Byrne has taken on in his 14th show, Tragedy Plus Time.

Prompted by the passing of his younger brother Paul, aged just 44, in February 2022, the still boyish-looking Byrne took Tragedy Plus Time to the Edinburgh Fringe last year and received rave reviews.

The bespectacled Byrne now says he is looking forward to presenting it to audiences across the UK, including the Royal Hall in Harrogate on March 3.

“I was in two minds about whether to do a show of this nature,” said Ed.

“Then I decided this was the subject I was going to tackle but I wasn’t quite sure how to go about it.

"I briefly entertained a notion of writing a one-man play, with me sitting and talking to him towards the end of his life.

"But you know, I’m a stand-up comic.

"My main worry was, how funny is it going to be and is it going to work?

Popular with TV audiences for more than 20 years from appearances on the likes of Mock The Week, Dara and Ed’s Great Big Adventure, Top Gear and Pointless Celebrities, Bryne said the show’s run at the Edinburgh Fringe gave him the confidence to take it nationwide.

“The show does elicit a very pure emotional response in the audience,” admits Ed.

"There’s something about the fact that when somebody dies, everyone else carries on like nothing’s happened.

"Because nothing has happened to them.

"So there’s an anger in grief, too."

The forthcoming tour will also see Ed embrace new comic territory for him with an audio/visual dimension to let audiences see WhatsApp messages from his late brother

The end result is a very funny show which is very moving.

Tickets: https://www.harrogatetheatre.co.uk/events/ed-byrne-tragedy-plus-time-2/

More information: https://edbyrne.com/