Gein's return to the Edinburgh Fringe once again to showcase their brand of dark sketches. After their success last year hopes have been high that they'll pull out another great show. They've done it, but it never quite hits the high water marks of
Sketches blend the perfect amount of cleverness and silliness
All three performing members of the sketch group are excellent actors, together they work like a well oiled machine, bringing their characters alive through physicality rather than silly accents. There is always something interesting going on stage.
The sketches all bleed into each other and it works well as they do some rather clever stuff with it. Sometimes you can't tell when they have moved into new sketch ensuring the audience are off balance leading to surprising revelations. It's a simple method but I've never seen anyone do it to such a high degree.
There are plenty of laughs to be had if you enjoy sketches about suicide and serial killers. Last year some of the darkest and funniest gags were loaded in the middle or near the end to ease audiences. This time round they have evened it out throughout the hour, showing they have more confidence.
There is a certain amount of schizophrenia within the writing as they do two types of sketches. One type is packed to the brim with jokes and quips, the other has very few jokes until the punch line. They both work well and it allows them to develop work more interesting that normal sketch comedy.
Even though the comedy can be bleak, it's not shocking or gratuities, it's just people with a dark sense of humour writing jokes that make them laugh, and there is something quite nice about that.
Gein's are poised to be a leading voice in British comedy. Their sketches blend the perfect amount of cleverness and silliness.
