It feels slightly trite to describe David O’Doherty as an endearing, awkward clownish character, but that essentially is what he is. Once you have seen any of his material however, there is a discernible comfort in his own awkwardness which, while sounding paradoxical, is perhaps the making of many comedians. He is fully aware that his zany outlook mixed with the fuzzy cute appeal he carries has gained him both a growing mainstream audience and a dedicated cult following. His 10 Days in Dublin appearance on Wednesday 11 July in Twisted Pepper was a warm-up act for the new show he’ll be doing this summer.
In all honesty, the title ‘All Killer/Some Filler Work-in Progress Showstravaganza’ says it all. Though it should be said it really was more all killer than filler. As predicted, Twisted Pepper was thoroughly packed out, with only five rows of seats in the front, which O’Doherty proceeded to call ‘business class [...] the first ones to die when a plane crashes into a mountain’. Exaggerated as it may seem, it is a tribute to O’Doherty that nobody left the gig despite the extreme body heat, something he drew attention to himself a number of times during the gig. This is down not only to O’Doherty’s great scripted comedy but also the in-between moments when he really wins favour with his audience with his natural playfulness.
The show loosely circles O’Doherty’s recent break-up and his contemplation of age as he recently reached thirty-six, yet anyone who has seen him before will know that no topic is off limits no matter what the original theme. His revulsion towards rats and mice, The Big Freeze 2010, his likeness to Alf and his tendencies towards nostalgia are all played out. One of the most hilarious gags, if that is was it can be called, is the reading from the Cosmopolitan magazine’s sex tips for women, which are so bizarre it’s hard to believe they are real. The gig ends with O’Doherty giving a performance of his hit ‘Beefs’, in this case ‘Beefs 2012′. Look out for his upcoming gigs because if this was anything to go by, everyone will be taking up the piano keyboard in the hope of becoming as funny as David O’Doherty.
Aoife Ryan
