CRAICLING

O'Reilly Theatre, Belvedere College
★ ★ ★ ★
The long-time Dublin Fringe Festival favourites Foil, Arms & Hog open their show at Belvedere College's theatre – a setting they have lots of fun with, not least thematically in the opening sketch – with a teacher instructing the audience in how to hold a baby, a slice of weirdness that nicely sets the tone.

The comedy trio have built their significant following on the back of YouTube rather than TV, but stage offers more scope for physicality and expansion of their observational-comedy sketches.

Foil, Arms & Hog have a well-developed sense of the absurd: a sketch about buying a gun to kill an actor bends the mind; a gameshow to win a US visa is a hoot. There are recurring motifs, amusing songs (they sing well) and lots of good-natured audience involvement. The three performers are skilled and well balanced, with an easy charm. Most of all this is a lot of fun, silly, inventive, genuinely very funny – and, as the name says, great craic.

Runs until Sunday, September 23rd