Jarlath Regan in Relax The Cax
Relax The Cax is an Irish slang term meaning “calm down”. Jarlath Regan used this phrase as the title for a show which recounted tales of his family, fiance, environment, childhood and how these things shaped him as a person who faced up to confrontration and fears.
This Irish lad had a very wandering style of storytelling. What appeared to be a main story of the show quickly veered off on tangents that veered off onto even more tangents, which had me wondering when and how he going to get back to his main story to wrap things up. These side stories all fitted in well within the show’s theme and would be perfect material for short stand up spots on their own, as I suspect is how they originally came into existence. As the show went on, it became apparent that he had a well planned out structure in which these small tales were in fact the basis of the show, taking us on a rollicking ride of Jarlath’s life. It was a shame that when he did eventually get back to the bookending story its conclusion merely petered out, forcing Jarlath to end the show with another short tale.
Jarlath used some visual aids during the show that were relatively low tech but immensely enjoyable. Video intro and outro sequences salvaged from an ambitious concept were suitably wacky and his hand drawn cards of his ‘Greeting Cards Featuring Subjects Not Generally Catered For’ were hilarious.
He had a very relaxed and friendly stage presence that put the audience at ease particularly during a brief spot of audience banter and participation. He is a brilliant storyteller with just a little hint of whimsy to enhance his descriptions of the small details in life. Jarlath was so nice and considerate of his audience, that he provided fans bearing wacky slogans to cool everyone down in the oppressive heat of the Gilded Ballon’s Billiard Room. He even provided an exhibition of his artwork in one of the bars for punters to view after the show.
Relax The Cax was hilarious show that kept everyone smiling. He certainly delivered on his promise he made while flyering that everyone leaves his show happy.
Visit the Fringe Website for booking details.