In Cahoots is, to put simply, packed with ‘lol’ing - and I do mean literally laughing out loud at every single sketch. Paul G Raymond and Luke Manning are young geniuses of double act comedy, forcing my notes to read something along the lines of ‘serious laughter’ and ‘yes’.
The duo have a wonderful partnership that sparks comedy and energy. Through a series of well devised, raucously funny and massively varied sketches, Raymond and Manning performed to the highest of standards in the best humour. Even Manning’s Scottish accent went down well, although he should probably work on it a little more. Keep trying, Manning, you’ll get it eventually.
The sketches themselves varied hugely in their variety, with Manning and Raymond able to switch characters at the flick of a switch and convince the audience of the next scene. I was thoroughly impressed by the range of characters they both covered, from changing sexes to nationalities in a seemingly effortless moment.
The pair had just enough audience interaction too, without relying on it heavily at all. The audience was full – quite rightly – and they made use of the energy in the room well. Instead of using their time to put audience members on the spot (and the ensuing awkwardness that follows) they merely made comments to specific people and generally had good banter with the selected few. This suited their show fine, as it stood on its own as a performance spectacularly.
I wish I’d seen this show at the start of the Fringe, so then I could have dragged everyone in the city to go see it. Unfortunately, I did not get that chance. In Cahoots is a really brilliant show that brings the laughter with skill and talent.
