Danny O'Brien: RaconTour

At the halfway point of Danny O’Brien’s RaconTour, the amiable Irishman casually drops in that his father was a heroin addict who he hadn’t spoken to for some twenty years. A ripple flows through the room as the audience bristles at the sadness and heartache this must have caused such a jovial gent, but it does nothing to slow the roll of O’Brien. Much like the motorcycle that forms the backbone of his show, O’Brien is unbreakable, just some of the parts aren’t where they’re supposed to be.

After inheriting a 1992 Honda Nighthawk from his Uncle following a stroke that didn’t kill him but made him much kinder to his young nephew, O’Brien decided to use it as a comedy vehicle. Taking his two wheels around the Emerald Isle to various festivals and gigs big and small (helmet cam footage of which introduces the show), O’Brien leaves no Irish Catholic stereotype left untouched with tales of Midnight Mass, maudlin grannies and family secrets. Fortunately, O’Brien steers clear of cliché with inventive punchlines and some very dark paths.

O’Brien rattles along at a spirited pace, cleverly taking water breaks when the laughs come in order to keep his story going and more than earning the pun of his show title. At times it feels like several club sets stitched haphazardly together with the emotional pull of trying to find out the fate of his father an afterthought. But O’Brien’s infectious optimism and boyish charm mean it’s a bumpy ride you’re glad to have grabbed a backie on.