Ryan Carrick goes from supermarket sketches to hosting Christmas Crackers in Dublin’s Ambassador Theatre
Ryan Carrick has gone from making funny sketches when he was working in a Mace store, to hosting one of the biggest Christmas comedy events in the country.
Ryan is MC-ing Christmas Crackers in the Ambassador Theatre, where some of the country’s brightest comedic talents are coming together for a special show on Thursday, December 5.
The variety show will feature music, comedy and drag performances, with a line-up including Michael Fry, Anna Clifford and Garron Noone.
“I started posting videos pre-Covid on my Snapchat stories just for my friends, and they told me to start posting them online,” Ryan said.
“They were like videos in the Mace I was working in. I was making stupid sketches in there and my friends told me to start posting it for the public to enjoy.
“I think my first sketch that did numbers online, that went viral, was a video taking the piss out of posh privately educated lads, and how they overuse the phrase ‘so fair lad’.
“Once I got that dopamine hit I was like, this is my life now. I can’t let this go.
“During Covid, TikTok had just started, and people were spending a lot more time on their phones. I capitalised on that and the ball started rolling from there.
“It’s only recently that I started to do stage stuff. I’ve gradually been doing it more and more, which is great because I love it.
“That immediate kind of qualification from people laughing at your jokes is the same feeling from that initial dopamine hit from my first viral video. I’m loving doing the live stuff.
“I definitely lean on the fact that I’m a Dub. It’s all tongue in cheek and I don’t mind taking the piss out of myself. I’ve yet to venture outside of Dublin in terms of doing live comedy, so hopefully that can happen, maybe in the new year.
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“I always post about drinking nine pints of Guinness and getting sick all over yourself, like I’m sure it’s happened to people before. It’s happened to me before.
“I was at All Together Now this year and some man came up to me a bit aggressively, didn’t even say hi, and he was like ‘here, you keep posting about drinking nine pints of Guinness and getting sick all over yourself. What does that mean?’
“I started to panic. I thought he was actually annoyed with me, but he was like ‘yeah, I don’t get it, but it’s gas’.”
Ryan was part of the Christmas Crackers show last year, and he can’t wait for round two.
“I did Christmas Crackers last year with Simon Hennessy, who I’ll be doing it with again this year. It’s great craic,” he said.
“Simon and I have become a little bit of a duo over the last couple of years. I’ve supported him during his shows. He’s incredibly talented.
“There’s an amazing line-up of comedians and performers. There’s a few there who mix comedy and music, which is something I’ll never be able to achieve.
“It just makes me feel bad because it’s just so much more impressive when you can be funny, but also playing music.
“Garron Noone is an incredible musician which is so unfair because he’s one of the funniest people in the country. But he’s also an incredible musician.
“Just stay in your lane, leave some for the rest of us. Michael Fry is another one who can do music and comedy, and it’s so annoying, but also incredibly enjoyable and fun to watch.
“The characters he does, the stories he tells through his songs, they’re bangers, singalong tunes. It upsets me and excites me all at the same time.
“Ali Fox is one of my favourite comedians, she’ll be there on the night. Anna Clifford too. I saw Victoria Secret last year at Christmas Crackers for the first time. She was incredible. It was the set of the night,” he added.