Without preamble, Newry comedian John Meagher launches into his incident-filled life story. From an idyllic upbringing in rural Ireland, his family moved to Northern Ireland in the 1980s where they faced a turbulent time during The Troubles. Typical of many people from that place and era, he finds much to laugh about: it was a time when humour was an essential part of the collective armoury. He has some intriguing stories on learning to keep a low profile and how his father drilled into him the essential strategy of suppressing emotions in the grim face of oppressive authority. He was taught (and reveals in detail) an interrogation survival technique that he amusingly refers back to throughout the show.

Following a move to London in 2015, the focus shifts to his girlfriend and how much better looking than him she is. ‘She could do better, but I don’t want her to’, becomes a common refrain, almost a mantra, for the rest of the show. People with experience of The Troubles will find much to recognise in Big Year, while others will be transfixed by the lived experience of normal people during that extraordinary time.

John Meagher: Big Year, Gilded Balloon Patter House, until 26 August, 4.20pm; main picture: Rebecca Need-Menear.