Review by Steve Bennett

Conor O’Toole doesn’t seem to have quite the courage of his convictions. He tells us he’s a Goth, though he doesn’t look it (he’s even wearing a green T-shirt!); that he’s a feminist, though he doesn’t seem especially committed; that he’s a man, though he’s not very masculine, which allows him to mine a familiar self-deprecating seam.

The same is true of his comedy; with a set that certainly has its moments, but is too unsure in tone and attitude to sweep you along. In short, the act needs more personality to stand out from all the others here on the Fringe. How many other stand-ups, for example, have stories about begin insulted by a ten-year-old but struggle for a comeback, so get their witty response out on stage later?

He promises a mix of stupid jokes and bleak personal stories; and while there are a few stand-out gags in here, you don’t come away feeling like you particularly know him; he tends to tell you what he’s like, rather than show you from the material.

In a scattergun collection of stand-up bits, the biggest recurring strand is reading extracts from the peculiarly racist memoirs of native American warrior Geronimo, which is funny for its blunt opinions. The piecemeal nature is further underlined when O’Toole takes time out to proselytise for the cause of abortion reform in his native Ireland – adding a bit of morality politics into the mix in a serious section alleviated only by one of his lesser puns.

He’s decent company and chats affably about this and that, a decent stand-up for a mid-level club –  but for a fourth Edinburgh show you might want a bit more than a dozen solid jokes and some entertaining non-PC passages from a 108-year-old book wrapped up in affability.

Review date: 19 Aug 2014
Reviewed by: Steve Bennett
Reviewed at: St John's