One of the saddest things you can see at the Fringe is a good act being ignored. Amongst the vast array of acts at the Free Fringe, Rory O’Hanlon is an underrated and unassuming stand-up in danger of being lost amongst the crowd, which is a huge pity. Hanlon is an accomplished and adroit comedian with a well-written, accessible set of gags. Mainstream without being middle-of-the-road, Hanlon’s show is centred on his lifestyle as an non-smoking, non-drinking Irishman. Whilst abstinence is hardly fertile ground for laughs, Hanlon draws upon his experiences as a travelling comic for a series of witty anecdotes and pulls the show together well.
Hanlon seemed to have planned for a larger audience and with only a half-full, unwilling room, it seemed as if he was stretching his material out a little and certain gags felt a little repetitive. With a more talkative audience this show could have been excellent, especially as Hanlon came across as a personable comic at ease with improvisation. Had Hanlon been able to exercise his improv muscles, we might have seen him step up a gear or two.
Hanlon spits out a joke every minute and his fast-firing, sharp-talking style of comedy would be perfect for many audiences. Despite this, Hanlon needed more involvement from the crowd to really get going and it was disappointing to see a good comic struggle with an unsympathetic audience.
Compared to the quality of many of the acts on at the Free Fringe, Rory O’Hanlon stands out by a mile and with a more malleable crowd and a more polished set, Hanlon could host a very good hour of comedy.
