Patrick Monaghan has become a firm favourite of mine over the last few Fringes and it is easy to know why if you have ever seen his shows.

This Teeside raised, half Irish, Half Iranian funny man is one of the nicest guys you could ever see, he never uses language that would make a maiden aunt blush and he always comes up with some different subjects to base his show around, this years being women’s magazines such as Chat, Take a Break etc.

 As always Pat is very audience interactive. And has a field day with a fireman, a couple of Kiwi’s a English man and a Irish man and their partners even recreating a rugby scrum up on stage no less, although this was a one off I’m assured.

Monaghan tells of his life as a teenager and the booze and drugs culture that he was not part of his make-up, Pat had another vice and had a couple of anecdotes that brought the audience into peels of laughter, as did his stories of chatting with random strangers and ‘dropping into conversations’.

Monaghan is someone you should check out at least once, and who knows you just might get hooked as I have, making him one of the first names to see each Fringe.

Pat is also doing a kids show as well, no wonder his voice is starting to go.

Patrick Monahan: Cowboys and Iranians

Company: - Phil McIntyre Entertainments

Venue: - Gilded Balloon Sportsmans V 14

Dates: - 7 to 13 August 2009 ( not 13,20)

Times: - 21.15 to 22.15

Fringe Programme Page: - p85 (C 34)