The Funeral of Conor O'Toole

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Young Dublin-based comic Conor O’Toole admits that some of this material is a bit hit and miss – and it certainly is. Some jokes fall flat, some raise a smile, and a few gems get guffaws from the crowd. But whatever he lacks in comic finesse, he more than makes up for with easy charm and sheer quantity of gags. If one doesn't take your fancy, there'll be another following right behind it.

It would be wrong to reveal the show’s secret location but it must be one of the best at the Fringe, only a short walk from the meeting point in Bristo Square (handy). In any case, the show actually starts during the queue, being warmly greeted by the bright-eyed comedian until it’s time to head to the undisclosed venue.

While O’Toole's dedication to his theme is certainly impressive, you can't help feeling that a few deviations might have given the show a bit of much needed variety.  As it is, we discover why cucumber is the best filling for funeral sandwiches, and why he clicks the “Remember Me” button on every website he logs into among many, many similar death-based gags.

He’s charmingly odd at times, especially in a couple of rambling songs involving a weird homemade instrument, and we even get a book of poems and stories to take home. There’s no denying his eagerness to please. O’Toole is hardly the tightest or most innovative act around, and his show won't break boundaries, but his likeability carries the weaker material, leaving a show as charming as it is patchy.