I left
This is a great night, well-balanced and filled with the kind of sketch shows that you could carry on watching for hours.
Lead Pencil are a trio that seem to have enough energy to power most of Brighton. Their maniacal smiles bounce around the small stage at the Upstairs at the Three and Ten, creating a parody of the children’s TV hosts that fed our generation. They transform themselves into a variety of different roles, including my favourite the ‘Southern survival guide’ – informing inhabitants of the Deep South about what to do in a cuuuriisis (a crisis).
An other-worldly element is introduced with zazU, a sketch show about a parallel universe where everyone has a small town mentality. Meet a newlywed couple packaged off in a box with the address: The Honeymoon Suite, Elsewhere, Far away. Simon the accountant who is given a PR re-brand in an attempt to save his job, only to find his new persona Ian is a scientist – and they have no need for scientists at the accountancy firm. This is side-splittingly funny stuff, weird and wonderful; they were even making each other laugh at points.
Then we have BEASTS – a trio of gentlemen oozing talent from every pore. These are not ones to miss. They take to the stage arguing about whether one of them can win over the audience with an impression of Sean Connery – though they don’t seem to be sure exactly who he is. Then we have everything from a Disney-style musical about overdue fines at a DVD rental store, to the sad demise of Wally – a man who wished to remain hidden, but was found too many times. By the end I had that specific kind of achy exhaustion you only get from laughing too much.
This is a great night, well-balanced and filled with the kind of sketch shows that you could carry on watching for hours. The little stage was graced with an insane dose of talent and I will definitely be keeping my eye on these performers.
