Stu and Garry have been working together for twenty years. Although they are regulars at The Stand, for the Fringe they are gracing The Assembly Rooms with their improvised double act. They are quick and intuitive, but unfortunately there’s nothing to make this show stand out from the crowd.
Both men are naturally funny and likeable and their minds work in perfect harmony; they bounce off each other with ease and comfort. They mercilessly attack each other on stage, but under all that front it’s all too clear how well they get along. Highlights included Stu’s tongue-in-cheek representation of film noir and Garry’s portrayal of a Glaswegian in a tent shop.
The problem with this show is that during the Fringe there is so much free, improvised comedy that the shows which cost money need to stray further from the run-of-the-mill games and premises that can be seen elsewhere. Perhaps Stu and Garry are almost too used to each other and need something a little new to freshen up their act. They seem to adore being on stage, but with all the corpsing, little asides and personal joke moments, The Lunchtime Show appears to only appeal to a certain clique. The pair have been performing together for a long time and their material is a little stale. They go through the same conventional few improvised games that you would expect and there’s nothing to really thrill or excite. It seems as if they rely on their great knowledge of each other and their close relationship to produce the laughs, which is perhaps a little indulgent.
In fairness, the audience was very small on this particular lunchtime and Stu and Garry would definitely have benefitted from a fuller house, firstly to increase the variety of the audience suggestions and also to improve the energy in the room. However, despite the fact that they seem like two of the nicest guys in the business, this is a slightly hit and miss hour of improvised comedy.
