Following up on last year's break-through hit 'The Bunker,' well turned-out sketch group The Beta Males are back with another energetic escapade. While many sketch shows suffer from a sense of disjointedness between their disparate sketches, The Beta Males cleverly link each scene to a wider overarching narrative.This year, there's a steam-powered train hurtling through the middle of each sketch. We see everything from rich share-holders in business class, to star-crossed lovers parting on the platform, to a cops-and-robbers chase on top of the train. And as the plot thickens, we gradually understand the sinister secret lurking in the engine room. In the midst of the action, trying to foil a dastardly plan to flatten Edinburgh Waverly, is the unlikely hero Stephen Byers, former Secretary of State for Transport, in a hilarious, verging on libellous, appearance.The plot races along at the speed of a runaway train and very few scenes fail to raise a laugh. It's all great fun, carried off with panache by the four strong performers, who play tightly as a group and shine as individuals. The booming John Henry Falle is a particularly strong comic presence, but there are no weak links here and all four are ones to watch. Overall, The Train Job is very funny, very silly, and very enjoyable.
