COMEDY Man bites bank

IN THE BLACK? Patrick Combs lodged a fake cheque as a joke – and the bank cashed it.

Man bites bank


To be honest, given the state of the country and the reasons for it, the name of the show ‘Man 1, Bank 0’ is probably enough to draw in the crowds. There are not many Irish people who wouldn’t jump at the chance to hear the true story of how one man outwitted a bank, who wouldn’t relish the opportunity to watch a bank bow, scrape and beg for funds it rightfully owns. Ah, the sweet irony. Well, by all accounts the show delivers all that – and then some.   
Patrick Combs is an average guy. An average guy who, in 1995, decided on a whim to deposit one of those fake cheques so common in junk mail. ‘Man 1, Bank 0’ is Patrick’s amazing-but-true story of how he deposited a $95,093.35 junk-mail cheque marked ‘non-negotiable’ into his own bank account and about what happens after his bank clears it.  He’s rich – or is he?
This dramatic comedy that quickly becomes a staggering and funny David v Goliath-like real-life adventure, returns to Ireland after a hugely successful tour in June 2011 and sold-out shows in New York, Montreal, Los Angeles and San Francisco.
“On May 19, I was one of thousands of people around the country who received a ‘junk mail’ letter touting a get-rich quick method for making $95,093.35 in just three weeks. That letter also came with a cheque for the same amount, $95,093.35. Everything about the cheque looked real except for the words ‘non-negotiable for cash’ typed on the top right hand corner. For very little reason at all I deposited this check into my ATM. It was fun, like putting monopoly money into the bank.
“I walked home picturing a bank teller opening my deposit envelope and chuckling upon the sight of the ridiculously large, and obviously a sample, cheque. I fully expected that on Monday morning someone from my bank would call and say, ‘Mr Combs, the cheque you deposited on Friday wasn’t real’.”
Patrick did this as a practical joke — he was certain the bank would never honour the cheque. He was wrong. They didn’t call. Suddenly, nearly $100,000 was sitting in his bank account.
What happens after the bank cashes the ridiculous cheque? To name only a few things: angry banking officers threatening ‘jail time’ and ‘death’; the nation’s leading authority on banking coming out of retirement; astonishing legal twists; and worldwide media coverage (including The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Good Morning America and calls from David Letterman and Jay Leno).
For a night of hilarious tales of arm-chancing and bankers’ blushes delivered by a natural-born storyteller, ‘Man 1, Bank 0’ hits the jackpot. But be prepared: After seeing the show, the urge to lodge fake cheques delivered in junk mail will be strong…    

Patrick Combs is bringing his show ‘Man 1, Bank 0’ to The Royal Theatre, Castlebar, on Sunday, March 11. Tickets (€22.65 each) are available from 0818 300 000 and ticketmaster.ie. The show starts at 8pm.

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