RAPID CITY, S.D. — Jay Hollingsworth, better known on stage as “Big Irish,” is back in Rapid City this weekend, bringing his high-energy storytelling and sharp, self-aware humor to West River Comedy Club.
At 6-foot-8, the Las Vegas-based comic immediately commands attention when he walks into a room. But it is not just his height that earns him the nickname. Hollingsworth said he once weighed 415 pounds before losing 185 pounds after gastric sleeve surgery, a journey that now fuels part of his stand-up material.
“It was a two-man show before,” he joked about his transformation.
Originally from Boston, Hollingsworth did not take a traditional path into comedy. He has worked in corporate America and even ran a martial arts school before discovering stand-up through a class at the Boston Center for Adult Education. After performing his first showcase and earning 20 dollars in a tip jar, he said he was hooked.
“I wanted to earn my laugh,” he said of performing before his class graduation show. “If I bomb, I bomb.”
That drive has led him to win Best of Boston and the March Comedy Madness competition in Los Angeles. He was also a finalist in the Bay Area Black Comedy Competition in Oakland, where he said he took risks with material that could have gone either way.
Hollingsworth describes his comedy as personal and story-driven. He avoids political jokes, preferring to share real-life experiences, including dating mishaps and culture-clash moments that cross regions and audiences.
“I say everything on stage is either something that happened to me or something I believe strongly in,” he said.
While he now lives in Las Vegas, Hollingsworth said he appreciates intimate comedy clubs like West River Comedy Club. He arrived early to catch the local open mic night and praised the venue’s setup and community atmosphere.
“It’s not really the club,” he said when asked about favorite venues. “It’s the people you work with. If a room is packed, you’re going to have a good show.”
Audiences can expect bold storytelling, quick crowd awareness and what Hollingsworth calls his ultimate goal: laughter that builds throughout the night.
Big Irish performs at West River Comedy Club tonight and tomorrow night. Tickets are available through westrivercomedy.com. Catch his full recorded interview on the latest episode of “Bounced From The Roadhouse”.
