Queer, Catholic and Desperate to Get Laid: ‘Homo(sapien)’ Brings Laughter and Heartbreak to the Fringe

In just one hour, a sweaty, hilarious, and unexpectedly tender one-man show at Assembly Roxy is making Fringe audiences laugh, cry—and reflect on the messiness of being human.

A Relatable Sex Comedy That’s Not Really About Sex

Joey Kavanagh just wants to “get his hole.” It sounds crude—because it is—but Homo(sapien) is anything but one-note. Written and performed by Conor O’Dwyer, this one-man play tackles queer shame, Catholic guilt, sex (or the lack of it), and the ridiculousness of dating apps with jaw-dropping honesty.

Joey is Irish. He’s Catholic. He’s gay. And most importantly, he’s horny.

But this isn’t a raunchy hookup-fest. It’s a tender coming-of-age story wrapped in the language of gay chaos and Dublin sarcasm. The twist? It’s mostly sexless.

And that’s kind of the point.

Conor O’Dwyer performing Homo(sapien) at Assembly Roxy Edinburgh Fringe

One Man, One Hour, Infinite Feelings

O’Dwyer is electric on stage. He whips through scenes from Joey’s life—awkward adolescence, messy adulthood, weirdly specific kinks—with cartoonish facial expressions and Olympic-level energy.

He also makes you cry. Like, actual tears.

This is a performance where the same line can get a laugh and a lump in the throat. In one breath, he’s mocking the horrors of Grindr (“his profile pic was a door”) and in the next, he’s mourning the death of a young gay man who never got to live freely. That moment sparks Joey’s desperate search for intimacy before it’s “too late.”

One sentence lands hard: “If I died tomorrow, would I have ever really been touched?”

Yeah. Oof.

Sex Pressure, Popper Fails, and the Ghost of Gay Shame

Somewhere between the absurdity of douching mishaps and the trauma of growing up closeted, the show exposes the quiet damage left by religious guilt and queer stereotypes.

You don’t have to be gay, Irish, or Catholic to get it. We’ve all felt out of sync with what’s expected of us.

Bullet points you wouldn’t expect to make you emotional—but kind of do:

  • The tragedy of needing a Grindr hookup for validation

  • The comedy of failing to douche properly

  • The haunting memory of sex-ed classes that skipped gay lives altogether

  • The shame of not being “enough” of anything

  • The fear of being alone

It’s funny and filthy, but it doesn’t hide the pain under punchlines. It’s right there, in the middle of the poppers jokes.

Queer Resilience Served With a Side of Pop Culture

There’s something radical about how normal Homo(sapien) feels. Joey’s not a saint or a stereotype—he’s just a guy trying to figure his stuff out.

That includes some brilliant tangents about:

  • The “types” of gay men and where Joey doesn’t fit

  • Catholic sex rules that feel more like horror stories

  • Clubbing disasters that end in tears not hookups

One paragraph is literally just him reading mean Grindr messages aloud. It’s brutal. And hilarious.

What makes it all work is the vulnerability. O’Dwyer never pretends Joey has it all figured out. He’s messy, scared, and real. That’s where the resilience lives—in the admitting, not the pretending.

A Small Show With Big Fringe Buzz

Homo(sapien) isn’t some fancy, polished West End drama. It’s one man. One stool. One light. And it’s packing out shows at Assembly Roxy.

It first appeared as a work-in-progress at the International Dublin Gay Theatre Festival in 2023. Since then, it’s grown—but not in the flashy ways.

What’s grown is O’Dwyer’s confidence. His voice. His ability to hold a room completely in his grip.

One audience member described it as “like being slapped and hugged at the same time.”

Emma Ruse Productions, the company behind the show, clearly knows what it’s doing. They’re also running three other shows this Fringe and, honestly, they’re killing it.

There’s even a loyalty card. Get all four shows stamped, and you walk away with a tote bag.

Is it a gimmick? Sure. Does it work? Absolutely.

From Fringe Hit to Future Star?

You know when you leave a show and immediately Google the actor to see what else they’ve done? Yeah, that.

Conor O’Dwyer isn’t just funny. He’s the kind of performer who can go from wide-eyed comic panic to choking back tears in under five seconds. And he makes it feel like he’s talking directly to you.

Table of things Fringe-goers are already saying:

Audience Reactions Real Quotes Heard Outside Assembly Roxy
Laughter “I nearly peed at the poppers bit.”
Emotional impact “I wasn’t ready to feel that much in 60 minutes.”
Queer representation “It’s like my entire twenties on stage.”
Catholic PTSD “My mum would die if she saw this.”
Repeat viewings “I’m bringing my friends tomorrow.”

The word of mouth is spreading fast. And so is the sense that this won’t be the last we hear from O’Dwyer.

It’s Filthy. It’s Funny. It’s Real.

Sometimes a show hits you sideways. You expect laughs, and you get your soul punched a little too.

That’s Homo(sapien).

It’s about sex, and shame, and loneliness. But also about choosing yourself. About not letting anyone—parents, priests, hookup apps—decide who you’re supposed to be.

You don’t need to have used Grindr, grown up Catholic, or cried after bad sex to get it.

You just need a heart.

By Axel Piper

Axel Piper is a renowned news writer based in Scotland, known for his insightful coverage of all the trending news stories. With his finger on the pulse of Scotland's ever-changing landscape, Axel brings the latest updates and breaking news to readers across the nation. His extensive knowledge of current affairs, combined with his impeccable research skills, allows him to provide accurate and comprehensive reporting on a wide range of topics. From politics to entertainment, sports to technology, Axel's articles are engaging and informative, keeping readers informed and up to date.

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