Hysteria is a queer comedy collective that started in the midst of lockdown.

Consisting of members of the city's vibrant LGBTQ+ community and others from minority backgrounds, the group now brings its giggle inducing craic to real life audiences at Sin É on Ormond Quay.

The next event, Token Straight, takes place this Sunday, February 27 and promises nothing but laughs to distract us from the goings on of the world.

Allie O'Rourke, who co-hosts the event alongside Felix O’Connor, spoke to Dublin Live about how and why the group started.

She revealed: "Hysteria came about during lockdown. It was a bunch of comedians sitting around at home and being the hustlers we are, we couldn't just sit at home and enjoy the peace and relaxation."

"We needed some attention so we started a live streaming network of shows," she joked.

"Comedy in Dublin can be super competitive. So we all just came together to build our own scene in one space.

"The majority of us are from minority backgrounds. It's a collective full of queer, trans, neurodiverse people and people who aren't from Ireland. It's people you wouldn't normally expect to see in the comedy scene carving out our own space."

Giving us a taste of what audiences can expect from the upcoming show at Sin É, Allie said: "We do little simple things to make sure everyone has a good time.

"We give out crowd consent stickers. So if you don't want to be spoken to by the comedian, you don't have to. That's a huge source of anxiety for people at comedy clubs, specifically groups that are normally the butt of jokes.

"It's just a relief to be back. For me, comedy is a conversation. As a performer, it's so nice to be back on stage and connecting with a room full of strangers. It's beautiful."

Tickets for Token Straight at Sin É are available through Eventbrite. This Sunday's show begins at 7.30pm.

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