Andrew Maxwell: Yo Contraire

With so much made about the 'business' of comedy—panel shows, awards, jaded posturing—sometimes the actual joy of it gets lost in the haze. Not so with Andrew Maxwell. He overflows with a contagious joie de vivre: it's a genuine treat to be in the company of such unabashed optimism, and he can nail a punchline, too, with all the easy rhythm of the pros.

For such a positive show, Maxwell does draw attention to some of the darker goings-on in the world. He's an avid consumer of the news, with witty, well-aimed opinions on hot-button topics such as ISIS recruitment, Scotland's political landscape and Greece's finances. It's his relentless pursuit of the upside that provides him with the perspective to examine these bigger issues. But that's not to say he doesn't direct some of this observational focus onto more domestic subjects too.

Maxwell confidently covers a swathes of subjects; not everyone could get away with literally being a dick on stage (in a lesson on cleaning genitals, that is), and yet this Irish comic does it with a cheeky smile and clear, direct instructions. There's a jubilant energy behind his observations, from the state of feminism to the stench of his teenage son, but Maxwell never seeks to trivialise these issues. 

He urges us to be happier with our lot: to feel not 'pride', he says, but 'esteem'. Not bad advice if it'll help us all to be as positive as Maxwell.