Comedian - Mike Rice - Comedy in Your Eye

Comedian - Mike Rice - Comedy : The Nasty Character Selling Out Theatres

If you’ve spent any time on the comedy side of social media, you’ve almost certainly encountered Mike Rice. Hailing from Kilkenny, this Irish farmer's son has exploded onto the UK and Ireland comedy scene, becoming one of its fastest-rising and most talked-about stars. We’ve been lucky enough to have him grace the stage here at Comedy in Your Eye, and to see him live is to witness a masterclass in modern, unfiltered stand-up.   

From Farm Life to the World Stage

While he may be a London-based headliner now, Rice’s journey to the top of the comedy ladder has been anything but conventional. He cut his teeth not in the familiar clubs of Dublin or London, but in the notoriously tough rooms of Chicago, including the legendary Laugh Factory. This experience forged a comedian with a relentless work ethic and a bulletproof ability to command a room. After honing his craft in the US, he returned to Ireland before making the move to London, where he now regularly headlines the biggest clubs in the country, from Top Secret to The Glee Clubs.   

Comedy Style: Dirty, Hysterical, and Poetic

To describe Mike Rice’s style is to try and bottle lightning. It’s an electrifying mix of the poetic and the profane, a brand of humour that is simultaneously dark, silly, and incredibly smart. Critics have lauded his "rapid-fire, edgy storytelling" and his "delightfully hilarious mix of dark and silly humour". He possesses a mischievous stage persona, a self-proclaimed "cruel little man" who can win over an entire audience with stories that are as shocking as they are funny.   

His material is pure, uncut stand-up, stripped of gimmicks and narrative arcs. Instead, he delivers a relentless barrage of exquisitely crafted jokes and wild anecdotes, from the absurdity of a threesome to paying homage to a gratitude stone. As the esteemed comedy guide Chortle put it, "This is dirty, hysterical club comedy at its pinnacle".   

A Digital Age Headliner with a Trail of Achievements

In the modern comedy landscape, stage craft alone isn't always enough. The unique brand of Comedian Mike Rice comedy has proven to be a viral sensation, translating into tens of millions of views across TikTok and Instagram, catapulting him to a new level of stardom.   

This online success is backed by a formidable list of real-world achievements. He is the co-host of the chart-topping podcast Mike and Vittorio's Guide to Parenting and a regular, fan-favourite guest on the smash-hit podcast Have a Word. This has built him a fiercely loyal following who turn out in droves for his live shows.   

He has brilliantly bypassed traditional gatekeepers by releasing his own stand-up specials directly to his audience on YouTube. His debut, An Irish Disgrace, was released in 2023 to critical acclaim, followed by Nasty Character. His first-ever UK and Ireland tour of    

Nasty Character was a complete sell-out, with 67 dates snapped up by eager fans, including a sold-out run at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.   

This phenomenal rise has not gone unnoticed by the industry. Rice has made multiple appearances on Irish national television (RTÉ) and the BBC. Most notably, he was a finalist for the prestigious Channel 4 Sean Lock Comedy Award in 2023 and was nominated for Best Headliner at the 2025 Chortle Awards, cementing his status as one of the best in the business.   

Where to Find Mike Rice

To dive into the hilariously dark world of Mike Rice, you can check out his specials on YouTube and follow his prolific output on Instagram and TikTok at @mikericecomedy. For tour dates and more, visit his official website at mikericecomedy.com. And be sure to keep a close eye on our listings to catch him the next time he brings his glorious chaos back to the Comedy in Your Eye stage

Catch the best comedians off the London Comedy Circuit by buying tickets to our shows on the main page