2011 Edinburgh Fringe

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Diminutive stand-up Tiernan Douieb takes his comedy in a brave new direction. For 30 years, Tiernan has blissfully ignored politics. Incredulous at the state of the world around him, he now finds himself on a steep political learning curve as he tackles everything from the coalition and the cuts to the burka and the Middle East. But plagued by the arguments and injustices he encounters, he wonders if ignorance might be bliss after all.

From having no interest in or knowledge about politics, Tiernan is throwing himself into his political awakening. He performed for UK Uncut in the Stand-Up For The Alternative gig on 26 March hours before his audience stormed Fortnum and Mason, entertained students at the University College London occupation, and was asked to represent the Yes to AV campaign on Young People's Question Time.

Also at Edinburgh this year, Tiernan presents Comedy Club 4 Kids (Bongo Club, 5.30pm) which he now runs, hosts and performs for, and a show for children with Tim FitzHigham (Pleasance).

As well as running and hosting Comedy Club 4 Kids, Tiernan performs regularly across the UK and abroad; hosts Fat Tuesday comedy club weekly in Islington; and is part of the highly acclaimed London Comedy Improv alongside Rufus Hound, Tara Flynn, Brendan Dempsey and Michael Legge.

He has supported Jim Jefferies, Russell Howard and worked as warm up for Mark Watson's We Needs Answers and Dick and Dom's Funny Business and, in 2009, invented and ran the world's first ever Twitter Comedy Club with an estimated 14,000 viewers.