You know someone's truly talented when they can talk about the landing patterns of birds and make it hilarious.
Irish-Australian comedian Jimeoin possesses this special kind of talent. He’s the kind of guy who has a favourite door, and by the end of the discussion, can make you realise you have one too. Sometimes his punchlines don’t even need to be spoken. A simple expression (or a hip thrust) does the job.
Jimeoin notes that the experience at his upcoming shows will be a little different for audiences.
He won’t be dwelling on the pandemic or anything political at them. Just like a pint with friends at the pub, his shows are designed to give you a break from the troubles of the world. “I’m not trying to educate anybody. Comedy is there to be a release valve, not to reinforce the sh.t that’s going on. So, I focus on the human condition and my own personal frailties. I make fun of myself, and hopefully, people can see themselves in my failings.”
This method definitely hits home with fans. Jimeoin’s audience is often laughing well before a punchline has even entered the room, purely from the familiarity of the moments being described. “If you can find something you do on your own, especially if it’s a moment in which you’re a little bit vulnerable, you’ve got something people can relate to.”
Thanks to this approach, there are now people all over the world who think of Jimeoin every time they take a bath or tap an elevator’s 'door close' button. In capturing the ridiculous yet relatable details of these moments, he gives the audience little bubbles of laughter they can take home and use in their everyday lives.
The magic of these shared moments goes both ways for Jimeoin. “Before I started doing comedy, people would really struggle with my accent, but when I got on stage, I felt like I had all these friends who identified with little things I never would’ve thought about telling anyone in conversation.”
The same attentiveness that allows him to find huge laughs in tiny moments sees him collecting an assortment of odd information. “I recently found out that mice smile. They have special smiles and expressions they do for one another.”
These odd facts get stowed away in the third drawer of his mind where they bounce around until they inspire a joke or a quirky invention. "I have an inventive mind, but it’s always little stupid things. I never come up with anything revolutionary. I was trying to think of a way to stop thongs from flicking sh.t up onto your legs on rainy days. Some sort of anti-flip device. And then I realised what I was inventing was the sandal. And that’s been well and truly covered.”
Thankfully, the comedian has better luck turning such ideas into jokes. Given his subject matter, it’s easy to picture him giggling his way through life, forever amused and charmed by the objects around him.
“I always stop and think, ‘what’s making me smile in this moment?’ Sometimes you find it hard to put what you find funny into words, but when you manage it, that’s something special.”
Jimeoin Tour Dates
Thu 4-Sun 21 March - The Garden of Unearthly Delights – Umbrella Revolution (Adelaide Fringe)Fri 26 March - Sat 17 April - The Palms at Crown (Melbourne International Comedy Festival)
Thu 1 April - Wonthaggi Union Community Arts Centre
Fri 23 April - Burrinja Cultural Centre (Upwey)
Sat 24 April - West Gippsland Arts Centre (Warragul)
Fri 30 April - The Wedge Performing Arts Centre (Sale)
Fri 7 May - Townsville Civic Theatre (Townsville)
Fri 14 May - Enmore Theatre @ Sydney Comedy Festival (Sydney)
Sat 15 May - Club Charlestown (Charlestown)
Sun 16 May - The Concourse, Chatswood (Sydney Comedy Festival)
Fri 21 May - Central Coast Leagues Club (Gosford)
Sat 22 May - The Entrance Leagues Club (Bateau Bay)
Sat 29 May - Wests Illawarra Leagues Club (Wollongong)
Sat 5 June - Cairns Performing Arts Centre (Cairns)
Sat 12 June - Mackay Entertainment & Convention Centre (Mackay)
Sat 26 June - Gladstone Entertainment & Convention Centre (Gladstone)
Sun 27 June - Pilbeam Theatre (Rockhampton)
Sat 10 July - Ipswich Civic Centre (Ipswich)
Thu 22-Sun 25 July - Brisbane Powerhouse (Brisbane)
