EDINBURGH 2026: Review: RAY O'LEARY: I CAN SEE O'LEARY NOW THE RAY HAS GONE, Pleasance Courtyard

Have you ever thought in detail about the lyrics to Billy Joel’s "Piano Man"? Or wished that chess puns could be toned down a bit. Well Ray O’Leary is back at the Fringe, and has he got a show for you!

There’s no structure or narrative to I can see O'Leary now the Ray has gone, don’t worry he has noticed. With his classic deadpan delivery, Ray is just going to share some hilarious observations with us. 

But it doesn’t seem like the anecdotes are popping into Ray’s head willy-nilly. Spontaneous isn’t a word you’d necessarily associate with Ray, and yet he has been bungee jumping. But everything feels considered, even if the link between stories isn’t abundantly obvious to the rest of us. You’ll find yourself wishing your brain worked like his. 

I do worry that Ray has quite a few stories where people have died though. It does give strong Jonah vibes. 

Ray has a big presence, in his trademark grey suit and tie, on stage at what he calls the haunted cafeteria of the Pleasance Courtyard. For a comic who majors in self-deprecating, dry humour he can certainly command a room. 

You don’t have to think too deeply about I can see O'Leary now the Ray has gone, there isn’t a message, this is comedy in its easiest to digest form. So sit back and laugh yourself silly. It’s the perfect antidote to a heavy day at the Fringe.

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