Risteard Cooper brings ‘Out of His Head’ to the Civic

‘OUT of His Head’ is a “spanking” new solo comedy show bursting with “razor-sharp” impressions, sketches and “absurd imaginings” from the co-creator of Après Match coming to the Civic.

Actor, comedian, singer, and writer Risteard Cooper’s first live solo show takes on the heady subjects of the world around us now, then, and in the future, and draws “no obvious conclusions.”

It covers topics such as “what’s happening? Why is it happening? Where did it all go wrong? And who cares?”

‘Out of His Head’ also features skits from the world of television, journalism, politics, the arts, entertainment and sport.

Audiences can expect a “dizzying mix” of various personalities in this unmissable show.

This week, we sat down with Risteard to discuss ‘Out of His Head’, which performs in the Civic Theatre on April 2; the show is presented by Storied Management with a runtime of 90 minutes and an interval.

Age suitability is 15 years old and over; tickets are on sale now and can be booked through the Civic website or box office.

What inspired ‘Out of His Head’?

I’ve had the idea of doing a solo show for a long time, really. I’ve always written and performed sketches, right back to when I was a nipper, and then as part of Après Match and more recently with Off The Ball and Risteárd’s Republic, which was what kept me relatively sane during the pandemic.

I’ve had a lot of ideas in my head over the years, and this show is the culmination of everything I can bring to the table.

Comedy sketches, acting, observations, impressions, poems, skits, songs and general silliness.

People outside of this business have always reminded me that it must help that I’m “out of my head”. They might have a point, hence the title.

Without giving too much away, what can audiences expect?

There are a lot of favourite impressions peppered throughout, and I explore certain characters in unusual settings.

There’s a bit of current affairs, the state of us, media coverage, news coverage, showbiz and sports sketches, and parodies of the world we’re in.

Are you nervous going into your first live solo show, or are you feeling confident? Could it be a mixture of both?

It’s always a big undertaking to do any live performance. But to write and perform a solo show is a big investment of time and energy, and there’s a risk underpinning the whole thing.

You hope it will be as good as can be, but you’re never sure if people will laugh when you’re starting to perform new material.

Like, I was nervous when I started the process and when I did the work-in-progress shows back in September ’25, but I’ve worked really hard on it, and I’m enjoying the energy from the audiences now; it’s an amazing and incomparable buzz.

I’ve just done the Pavilion in Dun Laoghaire, and it was a blast, so if the rest of the gigs on this tour are anything like that, happy days.

What has been your favourite part of working on this show so far, and why?

I think I’m coming up with ideas. Batting them around in your mind and on the page, and then seeing them develop into laughs.

Within that, it could be nailing a new impression or finding an original angle on a subject.

What have been some of the biggest challenges you have faced during this production, and how have you navigated them?

I’ve performed the show in very different venues and varied locations, so I suppose tailoring the material to each audience is a challenge.

But it’s a welcome challenge.

The first date on this tour was the intimate but gorgeous Friar’s Gate in Kilmallock, Co. Limerick, so the jokes and observational stuff were pretty different from what I did at The Pavilion.

For example, doing a piss take of, say, David McWilliams may not resonate in Limerick as much as it would in his back garden, Dun Laoghaire.

What is next for you? Do you have anything else planned for 2026?

A few invites to perform in comedy festivals, so looking forward to those.

Who would you like to thank for helping you with this show?

My wife, Suzanne, and everyone who has hounded me relentlessly to write my own show.

My agent Jane Russell and Deirdre Molloy at Storied Management and my pal, the director Ian Fitzgibbon, who was a vital overseeing eye in rehearsal.