“THE hot young comedy act you promised yourself.”

Editorial Rating: 4 Stars (Outstanding)

Sketch comedy is better than stand-up. Even the best stand-up is transient, speaking to a particular moment and then largely forgotten. Whereas even the most dated sketch comedy can raise a chuckle long after the material has lost the sheen of immediacy. You know I’m right because ‘Life of Brian’ is a sketch comedy. The overriding theme of Biscuit Barrel’s EdFringe offering this year is speed – 69 sketches in just an hour (that’s more than one a minute).

The results are a mixed bag of silly, sassy, smart, successful and less successful gags that induce belly laughter the way cats induce interest from dogs. Holly Meechan’s direction of the troupe is fast and furious while leaving space for a bubbly sense of spontaneity that frequently boils over without denying any one of the unforgiving minutes its worth of distance run. Tec problems? Meh. The AC unit deciding it wants to loudly try and shout down Krakatowa on a busy day? Forget about it. Nothing is going to phase these guys who are THE hot young comedy act you promised yourself.

The intellectual James Horscoft, the characterfully musical Capriella Hooper, the pacy Lily Maryon, the ultra-physical Daryl Reader, and the small but mighty Harry Brown – these are the names you’ll be hearing from again and again until they are but withered husks, exhausted and broken for our amusement. These guys work hard to land every gag. Who cares how many angels can dance on a pinhead, can they do sketch comedy this miraculously?

Sketch comedy is better than stand-up because it’s more theatrical, it takes more risks, it got waaaay more range, more depth, more insight into the human condition. Sketch comedy is art and you aren’t going to see it more artfully done this EdFringe than by Biscuit Barrel. My favourite sketch is the… go the see the show. I think the strongest performance was from… go see the show. Easily the biggest laugh was… go see the show.

Seriously, come for the speed, stay for the delivery get your coats on and go see this!

ALL our recent coverage? Click here!