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At the 2012 Melbourne International Comedy Festival

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Andrew O’Neill: Fringe 2012
Live Review
Pleasance Courtyard

Distraction: the curse of every self-employed person, especially, it seems, the comedian. This is Andrew O’Neill’s show about his problems writing a show; the endless displacement activities that hold more allure than getting the work done and the limitless lure of the internet, constantly making nagging demands on his attention.

The structure of this hour mirrors his working practice: the  main thrust of his monologues interrupted by random thoughts and bits of physical business,  with little relation to reality, let alone the topic in hand. Yet these are usually the funniest bits: snatches of sung jokes, glimpses of a bizarre narrative well under way in his own mind, and the offputting buzz of an insect make for an enjoyably agitated start, like a metalhead Harry Hill.

But eventually the distractions die down as he eases into a couple of observational and anecdotal routines given an unusual twist. His letter of complaint to cotton-bud manufacturers ends in a preposterously overlong mime,  while a story of a spider in a swimming pool has a delightfully incongruous ending. All charmingly offbeat.

When he gets into meatier parts of the monologue, however, the laughs come a bit slower, however interesting it is. His musings on his identity as a transvestite – as well as the spectrum of people who share his predilection – is the prime example of this. Though he conjures up some entertaining images, such as the aggressively hetero alpha male, a common trope among the geekier comics, or the girl almost disabled by her poshness.

Ultimately he wonders whether being easily distracted is borderline ADHD, and whether he could get drugs such as Ritalin to control it – or would that somehow be losing an essence of  his personality? Kind of like a milder version of One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest.

Personally, I’d rather him embrace more of the distractions, as it’s the non sequiturs that keep the audience wrong-footed and add a spark to a show that already has substance. Although, admittedly, an hour of distractions might not be the easiest thing to watch.

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Andrew is one of the most inventive acts around. His material is always clever, original and interesting. He’s the sort of comic you either love or hate, but that’s not always a bad thing. The lists he read out during his Edinburgh show this year were brilliantly eclectic.

Steve McBride, October 2009

Saw Andrew at a very small venue in Otley... laughed till we cried - lucky for us we were all at that 'certain age' that allowed the mighty Giant Haystacks gag to be set free... Catch him - high energy, brilliant, review spot on.

Mike Estell, March 2009

I gigged with him at the Cambridge gig mentioned below. I think he is one of the most original, accomplished and interesting comics out there. Political without getting on a soapbox, brimming with interesting historical viewpoints. Real energy and passion, with a mish mash of styles that shouldn't work but somehow all come together. A real talent.

Paul, September 2008

I like Andrew. We did a unscripted news based show together tonight in Leeds and he was awesome. He was better than Depeche Mode but sadly not as good as Erasure. But still very, very good.

Barry Dodds, July 2008

Headlined my night in Cambridge and was awesome.

Ryan Chapman, April 2008

I don't believe Andrew kicked Russell Grant in the knee, I don't believe Winston Churchill was Jack the Ripper, and I don't believe Ronnie Corbett is falling into the sea at a rate of half a metre a year. Odd that this disbelief does not affect that I find this man funny. He made me laugh and I couldn't give two hoots why, that's not important. Good job Andrew, I hope to see you in Leeds again soon.

Tessa Boyle, March 2008

Andrew just gets better every time I see him. I think he is truly unique, surreal and awesome.

Tiffany Stevenson, February 2008

Well, the spitefulness of some people's comments are as depressing as they are predictable. I read them as: "This isn't normal. Why isn't your comedy normal, Andrew?" His last Edinburgh show was like elegant profound narrative chopped up with cartoon-like absurdity like dollops of ice cream. Imagine Reeves and Mortimer sketches edited into the middle of a Philip K Dick short story. It ended with a very moving piece that was the only thing at the festival that brought a tear to my eye (apart from the cost of accommodation). So he had a bad gig. We ALL have bad gigs.

stuart black, February 2008

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