Essentially, Dolan thinks what most people think: that 2016 has dealt us a bad hand so far. He disagrees passionately with Brexit and Prince and Bowie have passed away so it begs the question, what can we do to make it better?
He is a great showman. His mood is infectious; his audience interaction always hits the mark, and he exudes a great deal of confidence and comfort on stage. He makes no point out of how he constantly plays with the mic stand – rolling in on its base around the stage – it's funny because he can.
His content, however, is surprisingly so-so. His charm and confidence is left unnoticed with gags that were far too suitable for work. Every so often, generally used with information he gets from the audience, he exhibits how quick and clever his humour can be. There are a lot of passionate criticisms he could have made of modern day life as a young father. Otherwise, the show shows that a big profile doesn't necessarily guarantee a showstopper.
Well performed with his cheeky schoolteacher demeanour – it falls short of causing any rib-cracking laughs. More courage and uniqueness is what we need because we know he can do it.
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Mark Dolan: Life Hacks is on at the Gilded Balloon at 20:00 everyday until 29 August. For tickets and more information, visit the Fringe website.
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