Ayden Doherty: Birthday Party for a Dead Friend is an emotional but comedic journey into a neurodivergent brain. Being neither centred on birthday parties nor friends, you could easily mistake this show as something completely different. However what it is, is a frank and passionate glimpse into one person’s struggle with mental health, showered with laughter.

While some people shy away from these issues, Ayden fully embraces them and then gives them the middle finger. In the guise of a comedy show he willingly lets the audience into his life and his own private struggles. Ayden’s best comedy happens when you least expect it, sometimes when you’ve just heard a heartbreakingly true story and you’re not even sure if it’s appropriate to laugh. Making light of these situations makes heavy topics seem easier to talk about and I believe that is part of Ayden’s goal, opening a dialogue to start discussing our mental health and the systems that surround it. He’s also just a funny guy and easy to listen to and watch.

But it’s not all about hard stuff. Well, the d*ck jokes are. There’s also Ayden’s hatred of long necked birds (he does make some very valid points!), vasectomy stories and solutions to unwelcome pictures from male admirers. You know the ones. This is not a typical ‘puns and cheesy jokes’ style of comedy show, it’s much more subtle and clever.

Whether you are neurotypical or neurodivergent (if you don’t know the meaning of these terms-you’re probably the former and lucky to be so!) this show is relatable and informative. Bring your mates or fly solo, you’re sure to discover something new about yourself and have a few laughs with Ayden leading the way.

To quote Ayden himself- he’s a FIVE star man! Just don’t offer him any unsolicited advice on his mental health.