Ardal O'Hanlon

Responding to Lembit Öpik's recent foray into standup, Ardal O'Hanlon condemned the former Lib Dem MP for adding to the list of celebrities who have underestimated and sullied the art form. He was right, but his statements bore a cruel irony. For though O'Hanlon has a rich history of performing in his native Ireland, effectively founding Dublin's comedy scene, his time spent on British soil has seen him trade on his own celebrity as he fills large venues across the country. Indeed, to many of tonight's audience, he is clearly Father Ted star first and respected standup second.

As he riffs on Ireland and Scotland's inclement weather conditions, it is difficult to ascertain exactly how O'Hanlon regards himself. His subject matter is reassuringly bland and populist, unlikely to alienate audience members who have come to spend an hour in the company of a television personality. There are, however, enough odd turns of phrase and bizarre non-sequiturs present in his gently surreal performance to appease even the most jaded comedy fan.

The problem is that the audience gives him too easy a ride, unaware of the fact that repeated callbacks to having an outsourced joke writing team in India are identical to vintage Andy Zaltzman material. A toothless indictment of the Pope, meanwhile, is met with the biggest ovation of the night. If O'Hanlon was forced to up his game significantly, there's little doubt that he could. As it stands, he's a hugely talented comic content to tread water.