The short audience queue didn’t bode well for Babbling Comedy 2 (when playing for laughs, a C of empty seats is a performer’s worst nightmare), and I found myself preparing to awkwardly force laughter for an hour to spare the performers’ feelings. Somehow, however, this Korean quartet seemed entirely unflustered by the meagre crowd, and proceeded to put on a show of lively, skilful, friendly clowning that had the audience in stitches throughout.Physical comedy is very easy to do badly, but this company made it seem effortless, displaying a Goldilockean sense of balance that other performers would do well to learn from. They teased the audience as much as possible without giving the slightest hint of nastiness; they interspersed their slapstick and silliness with just enough show of technical skill for neither aspect to get boring; they used just enough English in their baby-talk babbling for their meanings to be clear throughout, without ever letting meaning distract from the entertainment. Wherever there was a fine line to tread, they trod on it.Each of the performers made a distinctive contribution, with Ki Seop Cho as the stern beat-boxer and Jun Woo Cho the weepy, big-bellied butt of most jokes (and the most impressive juggler). Kyung Sun Chae was energetic and expressive, with the charming childishness of a Seuss character. Su Won Choi, however, was the funniest of the bunch - a master of audience interaction, conjuring up laughter from the moment he walked onstage.The show provides a great antidote to those Fringe plays whose focus is limited to challenging the audience and dealing with Issues, as though that is the sole purpose of theatre. Mindless fun can often be marginalised, but this merry troupe act as its ambassadors, in a fun reminder of the value of silliness. They deserve a bigger audience.
