Farting at a funeral could be quite funny. It could also be deemed disrespectful, rude and out of place. This is exactly how the Humour League may be received as a formidable troupe of postthirty-somethings send-up being old, single and dissatisfied, usually all at the same time. Inevitably sex – or the lack thereof – is the main motivation behind most scenes which, in their predictability, could cause comedic dysfunction.
However, for every sketch that flops there is one that rises. At the beginning at least, the scenes are interestingly interconnected: a bunch of flowers is passed like a baton between scenes and a round of applause by the audience is amusingly incorporated into the thank you speech of a fading c-list celebrity. The Humour League climaxes somewhere in the middle with a well written and performed song about muff-diving and the entrance of the highly patronising Ms Piper, whose granny chic knickers are truly inspirational. As with all ups however, afterwards the only way is down and after this discharge of joviality the show limps home in flaccid disconsolation. Nevertheless, it is free and if you are too then why not? You both just might make the perfect couple.
