Are you a fan of 'It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia'? This hit sitcom series that's been running for a whopping 15 seasons since 2005 and currently filming season 16. Well, if you are you must have heard of their podcast, the three leads of the show have taken it upon themselves to start a podcast which episodically discusses each episode of the show from their point of view. Staring Rob McElhenney, Charlie Day and Glenn Howerton the It's Always Sunny Podcast has been a god sent for lovers of the show to sink their teeth into a new way of expressing their love for Sunny.
Well, on Sunday 16th of April 2023 fans of the show who were lucky enough to secure tickets were indulged with an evening of laughs and gasps at the Royal Albert Hall; I was lucky enough to be one of those guests.
After helping myself to some of the exclusive merchandise and making my way into the theatre, the place was huge, seating over 6000 people and every seat was filled. Their chairs were set up on the stage and before I knew it, they were there, sat in front of me in real life. A surreal moment for any Sunny fan, getting to see some of your favourite creatives at work and making hilarious and memorable content right in front of my eyes. The Gang didn't discuss any specific episode like they usually do on their podcast, this was a unique experience where they simply discussed the show as a whole and some of their favourite moments.
We were treated to the guys sharing their personal favourite moments with us, Meg, one of the four hosts of the Podcast had assigned each guy a show to discuss their favourite moments as their character, on our night we got Glenn. We got to see some of Glenn's personal favourite moments of Dennis's but most impotently he shared some of his most memorable times when Mac got mad! Which was such a brilliant segment because usually you associate getting mad with Dennis but seeing Rob react to all of his greatest angry moments was perfection. The three guys have an incredible relationship with one another, truly relaxed and felt at ease on stage in front of thousands of people. They handled themselves well and even shut down a few of the drunken hacklers, which is to be expected at a Sunny event! Nonetheless, the show went smoothly from beginning to end and I could not have been happier with the whole experience.
We saw cameo appearances from a range of characters, including The Lawyer, Uncle Jack, Artemis, Frank AKA Danny DeVito but most importantly Sweet Dee. Kaitlin Oslon appeared on screen towards the end of the show to send her love but to our surprise she actually walked onto the stage! I was very hopeful for a guest appearance from someone but for it to have been Kaitlin I was ecstatic, she is such an integral and vital part of the show it was a dream to have her walk onto the stage and soak up the applause. With Kaitlin on stage we were obviously treated to one of their most iconic and popular moments from the show, Day Man. What a pleasure it was to hear Charlie on the piano setting up the song for the rest to start singing, something I never thought i'd see in person. I truly hilarious and surreal moment for me which I will never forget.
What I love about the Sunny cast, their show and their podcast is that they don't take themselves too seriously. I admire the guys for their tenacious attitude and dedication to their show, It's Always Sunny inspires me as an aspiring actor and writer. I long to be a part of a team as strong as theirs and a show so un-objectively funny and crude. They have created one of the longest running sitcoms to date but continuously get over looking by the awards and over shadowed by high brow television which is nothing in comparison. It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia is one of the greatest comedies ever made and now I am lucky enough to say I have seen in live in front of my eyes.
The cast of the podcast then went on to perform two shows in Dublin, Ireland in the following days where I have no doubt they received a warm welcome. I hope they enjoyed their experience in London and I do hope they come back again soon, maybe a live performance of Day man next? Please!
Overall, this experience was unique and one of a kind. Each show was altered and tailored for its audience. For an Always Sunny fan this is as close as you'll get to the action, seeing the guys laughing, having a drink and discussing their memories from the show. The live performance felt intimate despite being thousands of people sharing the experience, everyone felt light minded and happy to be there. I for one couldn't stop smiling and believe me when I say I was star struck when they walked out onto that stage. This podcast recording is probably the only one I will ever go to and I am beyond impressed with the attention to detail and overall effort put into making this an entertaining watch for almost three hours!
Thank you to Rob McElhenney, Charlie Day, Glenn Howerton, Meg Ganz and Kaitlin Oslon for putting on such an incredible show. For me, it was one of the greatest nights that I will never forget.
I will be showing off my exclusively bought merchandise for everyone to be jealous of.
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