Ardal O’Hanlon Not Himself Tour At Lighthouse Poole Review

DISCLOSURE – TICKETS TO SEE THE SHOW WERE GIFTED TO THE REVIEWER AND GUEST FOR THE PURPOSES OF WRITING THE REVIEW

Reviewed by Mel S-W

Ardal O’Hanlon brought his Irish charm and comedic style to Lighthouse Poole for a one night only tour performance on Saturday 14 March. The tour continues throughout the UK, finishing in Ireland in October 2026. Performing to a packed theatre tonight, he had the audience chuckling, belly laughing and also questioning a little about whether you should be laughing at something!

Although I’ve never had the pleasure of seeing one of Ardal O’Hanlon’s live comedy shows in the past, he is very recognisable to me from popular TV shows where he played the role of Father Dougal in Father Ted and DI Jack Mooney in Death in Paradise. But I can honestly say that I will definitely be heading back to see Ardal should he return back to the Lighthouse. The theatre is such a great venue to watch live comedy in and still felt quite intimate a night of laughs with a delightful strain of comedy. Ardal regaled us with his recent injuries so I bet that after injuring his ankle having tripped over a dog, he would have been pleased he wasn’t on a bigger stage. He was able to weave this into his act, making us laugh at his expense, but we could clearly see how much pain he was throughout. He refused to sit down, choosing to stand for the whole show and meant he went straight into the jokes and merriment.

So… what can you expect from an Ardal O’Hanlon show? Honestly, I’m still not entirely sure where or when the show officially began. He just slipped straight into his trademark style—conversational, real, and effortlessly slick. For the entire first half he kept insisting he’d “get to the start of the show soon,” which had us completely bemused and absolutely tickled, because we were convinced we were already in it.

His comedy was beautifully crafted stand‑up: jokes that built quietly, then landed with precision, all delivered with that easy, off‑the‑tongue charm. He wandered through everyday frustrations—being the third child, hotel rooms and hospitality quirks—and eventually arrived at AI. He somehow made the audience’s collective gripes feel both universal and ridiculous, and it was a joy recognising ourselves in them.

There were brilliant sketches about technology turning against him, and the absurd over‑engineering of hotel rooms—showers, lighting, all those baffling buttons. These are the tiny irritations we all face, but he delivered them with such smooth, knowing humour that we were laughing (and muttering “so true”) for the rest of the night.

Simply hilarious. Lateral thinking, surreal touches, sharp observations—it was brilliant. Ardal proved that there is healing in humour, that comedy is needed and also proof that the joy of jokes is needed today more than ever.

I would rate this show 5 out of 5. I would definitely recommend an Ardal O’Hanlon show to anyone who loves a good laugh.

This was a one night only show and tickets started from £30.80. To see what else is on check out their website here or by calling the Box Office on 01202 280000.
The full address is Lighthouse, Arts and Entertainment, 21 Kingland Road, Poole, Dorset, BH15 1UG

Rating: 5/5