Ali James, George Kemp and John Oakes comprise Giraffe, a hysterical sketch comedy trio bent on filling an hour of your lives with their own brand of hilarious original comedy.
Thigh-slappingly good and worth seeing again, Giraffe are a standout sketch comedy group at the Fringe.
Certain sketches rely on the audience’s understanding of contemporary references, which is always a grey area; Giraffe take a gamble in developing a sketch based around a certain long-running biblical-themed musical, yet are able to find some of their funniest jokes in the direct lampooning of its libretto. Even given such risks, however, their parody of a notoriously well-known song from a certain modern Disney musical showcases Ali James and George Kemp’s vocal talent and impressions.
The show is completely jam-packed with sketches, and impressively with several recurring sketches and call-backs that add layer upon layer to brilliantly original characters. Highlights of the show include the poignant and hysterical bigfoot, a theory-obsessed P.E. teacher and an inappropriately timed striptease from Kemp and Oakes that delights the audience. In fact there are so many strong sketches it would be mind-numbingly tedious to list them all, although I have noted down fourteen others which had me in stitches.
The trio use music effectively and change from one character to the next with remarkable dexterity. They are totally likeable as performers, interacting with the audience playfully and being self-depreciative and charming throughout. Some of the shorter sketches aren’t quite as successful as the long-form ones, which suggests that the performers are at their best with longer-form character-based sketches.
Thigh-slappingly good and worth seeing again, Giraffe are a standout sketch comedy group at the Fringe.
