Ed Eales-White presents a one man sketch show championing, as he puts it, the average man on the street. Character based in nature, we follow Eales-White’s personae through crucial moments in their lives. There is no overarching narrative through the show, as is increasingly popular, but many of the characters have their own arc, giving the show a more rounded feel than if they had been little more than vessels for jokes.
Certain characters have very strong identities, particularly that of Lee Guinness, the Guinness swilling post office depot worker. Eales-White’s storytelling ability shines through at its brightest here, spinning a witty and genuinely touching tale. Not all share this strength, however, with some sketches falling flat from predictable punchlines: the result, perhaps, of an imbalanced focus on particular personae. Initial worries brought on when one-joke identities started to rear their heads more than once, were assuaged by the finely observed character development ultimately culminating in - often tragic - climaxes.
Eales-White is a master of bathos and his timing is sharp - this is true across his performance, but where he is strongest is in the elements of audience participation. A one-man sketch show has the potential to drag on without some quirk to maintain our interest, and this is fulfilled by bringing the audience into the sketches. Literally. A personal favourite is a Q&A session in which the audience are made to ask questions pre-prepared by Eales-White: ultimately it is us who are made to look the fools for being complicit in the charade.
Often manic and intense, Eales-White’s energy fills the room from start to finish. It is difficult to doze off, not always for the best reasons, with the decibel level often reaching uncomfortable proportions for extended periods of time. Nevertheless, this is certainly more than your average sketch show.
