Pat Cahill: The Fisherman

The central metaphor in Pat Cahill's show is that fishing is a pastime which relies on delayed gratification. It's a thoughtful idea that enables him to muse on why someone would choose to spend their free time capturing other living beings. But the notion that pleasure is more meaningful if it's worked for applies to the show too, and to Cahill as a performer. His quietly-spoken, hesitant delivery indicates a comedian intent on working through ideas, pushing imagery as far as it will go.

That makes this show sound solemnly introspective, and a tough sell. But another aspect of angling is it enables the brain to wander, and it is these moments of fancy that constitute the comic meat of the show. Ramshackle props bring imagery to life, and there's a controlled silliness that points to an assured performer. He sings too, making comic mileage out of Enrique Inglesias. And there's a most joyously bitter and cathartic Brexit song that might be the most honest reflection on the outcome of that referendum you can find.

More than most shows, the governing metpahor insistently returns, and comes to a profundity that you get the sense Cahill is a bit embarrassed to have achieved. But then there's another daft gag, and he astutely notes, "If you didn't enjoy that, then you've lost something as a human being". So this show is an intricate assortment of delights, revelling in its absurdity. All that, and not a single fish-related pun, thankfully.