Foil, Arms and Hog are an Irish sketch comedy trio who combine innovative ideas with silliness and boyish charm. Their shows buzz with spontaneity, hilarious gestures and phrases emerging that seem improvised on the spot by comics with a real flair for it. The material ranges from observational comedy about airlines set to music to a sketch about period dramas which part satirised, part surrealised the genre, with much bizarre activity in between.
The group have great dynamics. Sean Finegan (Foil) often gets stuck playing the straight man. However, it was Finegan who terrified the most as leader of the ‘Netmen’ after the group performed an ingenious costume change. Only the image itself can really do justice to that moment. It was also Finegan who got the biggest laughs as Pavlov the nondescript Eastern European, in the ‘Worst Wingman Ever’ sketch. Conor McKenna (Arms) comes across as the leader of the group and seems most able to maintain control when it becomes necessary, and to totally let loose when it is not. His Jonny Bravo-esque performance in the ‘Who’s a Prick?’ gameshow sketch was a particular highlight.
However, Sean Flanagan (Hog) has simply been born with a case of the funnies. He looks funny- not his features exactly, but the relentless playfulness which animates them. Hog looks constantly entertained by his own misconduct and the feeling is infectious. In one sketch led by Foil and Arms, all Hog did initially was hover in the background staring on like Puck from A Midsummer Nights’ Dream, raring to go get involved and wreak havoc. From the back of the stage Hog stole the show.
An hour with Foil, Arms and Hog is akin to spending an hour with a troupe of mischievous school-boys who have fun misbehaving and who misbehave with originality and talent. It is essentially a well spent hour well worth the money.
