This is a show that will have you feeling like you’re huddled deep in a crowded bar with a pint of Guinness in some far town nestled away in the inner heart of the Emerald Isle. The fire is roaring, the band has played its final tune, the barman has knocked off but keeps pouring them anyway, and your oldest friend Ronnie Neville is sitting fireside, telling you tales torn out of his book of adventurers from all the world over.

This is fine storytelling. Whether he is telling a yarn about his parent’s encounter with the Australian police, telling a tall tale about a childhood animal robbery or describing the finer art of selling cookware at a sex fair, Ronnie is engrossing. He has a bagful of tales that are delightful, endearing, and relatable. Each story has a comic side, too, that is brought to life by Ronnie’s uncanny and engaging stage presence.

The set was reminiscent of the style of Billy Connoly’s and I wondered if Ronnie is modelling himself on the great Scottish folk entertainer. He is on to something here and could potentially take his act to another level if there was more of a thread that tied the otherwise fragmented stories together. He brought some props to the act that made some stories shine, particularly one involving the creatively named “Sexy Swiss Whisk” that was irresistibly laugh inducing for the crowd. I felt like I wanted to see more of these, and maybe even pass them around the crowd, which would have been possible in our intimate, yet engaged, audience.

Don’t miss this comedian, who brings a unique and wholesome act to this year’s festival, and like any good story is sure to get better every time its told!