The Belfast tourist board probably wouldn’t love the negative stereotypes being shared here, with stories about hardmen and drug dealers, but that was the reality of William Thompson’s childhood. Growing up in a council estate, toxic masculinity, macho games and playground slaggings featured heavily. For that reason, Thompson’s adoptive mum sheltered him from being picked on and hid his disability, which as he points out, also happens to be a hidden one.

Born with cerebral palsy, Thompson explains briefly how it affected him physically and socially, keeping his delivery casual and avoiding self-pity. He’s a likeable, chummy performer who slips in messages about disability justice and casual ableism while the crowd is busy laughing at him bragging about his free car, classroom pranks or clumsily mucking up Tinder chats. 

Underneath his pal-down-the-pub demeanour, there is stronger material being tackled: his dad’s homophobia, the mortality of elderly relatives, everyday Protestant and Catholic differences. Growing up as a teenage male in the mid-2000s, he felt it was definitely not OK to discuss his feelings, but luckily for this show, he’s comfortable doing it now. 

William Thompson: The Hand You’re Dealt, Pleasance Courtyard, until 28 August, 5.30pm.