Now is the time of Ireland’s comedy renaissance, and nobody is leading the charge louder than the undeniable talent that is Vittorio Angelone. With two completely sold-out tours in 2023 and 2024, a staggering online following, and the mammoth podcast ‘Mike & Vittorio’s Guide to Parenting’ alongside the equally sensational Mike Rice, Angelone is undoubtedly one of the most promising rising stars in modern comedy.
As co-writer of the hysterical ‘Fin vs The Internet’ and now one of the leading faces on Channel 4’s ‘A Comedy Thing’, Angelone’s career has become a succession of smash hits. There is an unstoppable comedic mind behind the eyes of the Belfast comic, paired with a sharpness that allows him to balance edge with warmth. He is not simply riding the wave of Ireland’s current comedy boom; he is helping to define it.
His latest tour, ‘You Can’t Say Nothing Any More’, builds on the success of his previous sets, which are available on YouTube. The show delves into his upbringing in Belfast and his Irish-Italian heritage, touching on subjects as distinct and seemingly unrelated as the Troubles, the IRA and Sinn Féin. What might sound like heavy material is handled with remarkable dexterity. Having seen the show at this year’s Fringe, I can vouch that it is a hilarious dissection of preconceptions and, in many ways, a surprisingly touching and thoughtful set. Angelone has a rare ability to make politically and culturally loaded topics feel both accessible and personal.
There is something particularly distinct about Angelone’s stage persona. As he confidently glides across the stage, it borders on smug – but knowingly so – carrying the air of someone fully aware that he is funnier than anyone else in the room, a fact he has proven time and again. Whether performing for a home crowd or delivering what feels like an educational set to a predominantly English audience, he is already a master of his craft, skilfully planting Chekhov’s gun-shaped seeds throughout the hour, each one blooming into a perfectly timed callback.
Few comics, in my experience, are so intent on presenting their work as a piece of art. It is refreshing to see Vittorio raising the stakes with every show. The future is bright, and with more surely on the horizon, now may be your last chance to catch him in an intimate venue before his star rises even higher.
Catch him at Middlesbrough Town Hall on Thursday 12th March.
Tickets, priced at £23.00 in advance, are available at boxoffice.middlesbrough.gov.uk.
