David O’Doherty returns to Sydney and the Sydney Comedy Festival with his latest show: You Have to Laugh. It is the soothing balm that we all need to get through the craziness of modern day life. From insane politics, feelings being used as facts, and craft gin specialists being the only winners, good old Doddles is just what we require to get through it all with this performance, held at the iconic Enmore Theatre.
O’Doherty, as always, is effortlessly charming, brimming with casual confidence that makes his performance appear unrehearsed and off-the-cuff. He has been doing this for twenty years, and he knows how to grab an audience with his quirky and self-deprecating Irish charm.
He compares Irish and Australian norms, warns of a potential recession bubble-burst here, delights the crowd with a story about his worst (and best) heckler: an eight-year-old at one of his book readings, and an unfortunate fear of mice that led to an even more unfortunate plumbing issue.
O’Doherty’s stand-ups stand out from the rest with his whimsical songs played on a crappy battery-powered keyboard from 1986. His songs accentuate and punctuate his spoken material. Re-enforcing his message of “Sure it’ll be grand”, in the Irish sense in any case. However, he doesn’t sing as such. It’s more like musically shouting in time to the music. Which he describes as his ‘workaround’, as he is not a singer.
A true Festival legend and fan-favourite, David O’Doherty is one comedian that you most certainly should check out during this year’s Sydney Comedy Festival. Don’t miss the high-flying king of the low-fi on his return to Sydney. Learn to laugh away the world’s troubles and then get back to work!
– Orlaith
F&B Specialist. Usually seen with a flat white in hand or on her way to a coffee cupping or whiskey tasting. Needs to stop buying books and start reading them.
David O’Doherty – You Have to Laugh will return on Thu 3rd May 2018 – 7:30 pm at The Enmore Theatre. Purchase tickets now.
Read our guide to the top shows, and all of our 2018 Sydney Comedy Festival coverage.
