When a sketch duo hand out penguin chocolate bars at the end of their show, you can infer one of two things. Either they’re desperate for audience approval, or they’re really, really nice guys. Happily it’s the latter. Being really nice guys works as a bit of a running theme through this hour of sketches. We repeatedly meet two likable friends who act strangely, or have strange things happen to them. It all makes for a pleasantly amusing, but not rip-roaringly funny, comedy show.What stops this show from being a tad disappointing are flashes of writing talent. The ‘sun’ sketch is great, though a bit drawn out. The penguin one (hence the chocolate) is also a winner. But the ‘Where’s Wally’ sketch is pure genius. It combines a brilliantly funny concept with sharp attention to detail that keeps you laughing even once you’ve worked out the premise. It’s this fine-tuning that is missing from a lot of the other sketches, which are funny in concept, but lack such brilliant touches. Many fall off disappointingly from their height of funniness, or have bland last lines.Quality and conviction of performance also lets down some promising sketches. Playing a parodic Derren Brown figure requires a lot more onstage dynamism than was evident in order to prevent it looking lacklustre. Though the boys-next-door thing works well, when the guys play definite comic characters, focused energy needs to be put in for us to believe in them.Can a brilliant sketch save an average show? Maybe not completely, but it certainly bodes well for future Fringes - if they can hone their talents.
