Little Ward of Horrors, unfortunately, seems to somewhat fall into the category of sketch shows that sell tickets due to their name, The Malignant Humours. This 45 minutes of short sketch comedy turned out to be somewhat inconsistent in side-splitters and medical humour alike. Half the sketches were either unrelated to the title of the show or the selling point of it being ‘a medical comedy’. However, in saying this, that does mean the other half was what was to be expected and there was certainly laughter heard throughout.
Somewhat inconsistent in side-splitters and medical humour alike
They had some undeniably original and surprising sketches, which were the highlights of the show and it’s fair to say there was definite promise if the same standard could have been held throughout. Whilst, some sketches seemed awfully close to past sketches by Monty Python or Lee Mack that could have been cut to make room for more original work.
The performances by the cast were enjoyable to watch and their energy and enthusiasm were a substantial reason for many of the good sketches getting the quality reception they did. The musical numbers were possibly a step too far out of their comfort zone; although the lyrics were certainly funny and the musicians were surprising impressive the vocal strength did present itself as a slight distraction.
The humour specific to the field of medicine and the life of a doctor was certainly what garnered the best reception. I think with a full 45 minutes that catered to their audience, their life experience, and what was expected when walking in the door they could have really created a show to be remembered.
