Dara O'Briain

The renowned Irish charm can get a man far, but fortunately for Dara O’Briain he there's no need to rely on such a quality, so brightly does his natural comedic talent shine through. He is by now a familiar face, a warming presence and a household name who knows his trade and performs it with an efficient confidence. He establishes himself early on in the routine as possessing considerable intelligence, but this never detracts from his ultimate silliness.

He is, then, at his most comfortable when he immerses himself in his inner geek, which displays itself through the lambasting of homeopathy and frustration towards the sheer inanity of the film I Am Legend. The ease and the pace at which his routine flows is remarkable, and whether it be through his discussion of incompetent midwives or disappointing video games, you can’t help but admire his stamina.

O'Briain has made a name for himself because he's a comedian of the people, so to speak. Whereas Russell Brand can divulge to his audience the details of his various sexual conquests, and where Eddie Izzard is able to explore his transvestite tendencies for comedic effect, O’Briain relies rather humbly on his subtlety; which, in turn, creates an understated but consistent two hours.

That is not to suggest, however, that O'Briain is some kind of infallible stand-up god. Far from it, in fact, as the set tends to feel even longer with audience participation routines that prove superfluous. But despite this, O'Brian remains unfazed, and even though we're never quite sure where the conversation is heading his reliability is unquestionable as he steers and navigates with impressive ability. His omniscience within British television does beg the question of why you would go and see him live when he's being beamed into your home at least three times a weak, but the answer is clear from tonight's performance: television undermines O'Briain's greatest strength - his warmth - a characteristic which has been neglected in comedy for far too long.