Ray O’Leary lets you know early on that he studied philosophy, and it wouldn’t be inapposite to suggest that his show is permeated by a meditative, almost philosophical aspect. That doesn’t mean he won’t stray into bawdiness, but he has a sardonic, severe manner when he delivers his jokes that makes his delectably dark satire shine all the brighter. Jokes about someone being too fat to read stories to their children, abortion, and a depressed emotional support dog are all told with a mocking kiwi wit which toys with the morality of his crowd.
Arguably, some of his finest moments come when he departs entirely from traditional standup and veers into boldly experimental gags. At one point he explicitly elicits an “aww” from the crowd and proceeds to tell them how disgusted he is by it, at another he exits the stage entirely, and at others, he repeats jokes ad infinitum; moments like this exemplify a splendid absurdist flair which not many comics can claim to possess. These segments of experimentation pay off richly for O’Leary, and his show ends up feeling like a haunted fever dream – in the best way possible.
Strangely, however, some of his material, such as an impression of “a comedian struggling for material,” can feel slightly banal next to his boldly unique stuff. It is part of the charm, however, and O’Leary possesses an ability to take seemingly obvious jokes in unexpected directions, but sometimes it doesn’t pay off. Towards the end, O’Leary has another brilliant turn in staging a faux breakdown of his show, another moment of inventiveness which felt like a fitting end to his hour.
Ray O’Leary: Your Laughter Is Just Making Me Stronger, 17.20, Assembly George Square, 17.20, until August 16
https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/ray-o-leary-your-laughter-is-just-making-me-stronger
