Underbelly, Cowgate
Aug 20-27 (22:20)

Material:   Delivery:   Laughs: 

There is a wonderfully serene spot not that far to the south of Dublin called Glendaloch. There’s nothing much there; an ancient church, goats swarming the hillsides, & a scattering of houses, one of which was once the family home of comedian Danny O’Brien. Growing up in such an environment ensured Danny was imbued from an early age in the arts of telling stories with proper starts, asides & ends & which, most of all, entertain the listener. This is what makes ‘O’Brien’s 2017 Fringe show, RaconTour, a pleasure to watch. We laugh, but we are also taken on a ride, ostentatiously on the back of Danny’s family-inherited ‘piece of shit’ bike, a 1991 Honda Nighthawk which forms the central inspiration to this year’s show.

As a performer, Danny is a nice little vibe-builder, & flows ingenuously between his set-piece sections. His talent for story-telling effortlessly implants his adventures in our heads in the pictorial fashion, a rare ability in the comedian which I am sure sprang up from the long, drunken nights by the country fires of Wicklow. Danny is a good sort, an Irish comedian in the classic style – abortion & Catholic guilt are mentioned in extreme brevity – but not afraid to do his own thing at all. Aye, jumping on the back of O’Brien’s slightly rickety but truly sportive comedy bike is well worth the ride.

Reviewer : Damo