It was not wholly surprising to see Footlight’s ex-president David Mitchell in the auditorium inspecting his former outfit in the context for which they are best known, the Fringe and Footlights are inexorably linked and the current batch have big shoes to fill. This is a funny show and at times the audience were greatly amused, but by the final bow there wasn’t a massive sense of satisfaction. The sketches were pleasing enough but there were no real classic sketches, the kind you can’t wait to tell to any person you happen to meet upon leaving the auditorium, the kind that give your funny bone a good workout.
The show consists of five performers dressed simply with white shirts and black trousers. The set has a similarly simple aesthetic, which not only allows for a greater variety of sketch but also doesn’t clutter up the stage and distract from the true comedy of the performers. The sketches are generally scenes from the everyday with a surreal element thrown in for good measure. The epitome of this was a scene from the Scorsese film version of Monopoly with some absurd characters which all present could certainly relate to.The show had connections between the various scenes, linking seemingly unconnected characters and forming a sort of tenuous narrative. This was amusing initially but became a touch laboured by the end with the recurring time phone joke crowbarred in at every available opportunity. The performers were funny but unfortunately they were not as amusing as a group as they were as individuals.
It should still be stressed that this is an enjoyable show, but one which won’t leave an indelible mark and perhaps suffers from the figures of former alumni peering over their shoulders.
