The main phrase that springs to mind throughout this montage of musical sketches is simply: middle-class. This is completely transparent right from the start, with an opening sketch (which recurs throughout) of a letter of complaint concerning the likes of Waitrose Essentials taramasalata. This knowing bourgeois humour could easily have been overdone, but the group skilfully manage to toe the line well, with just enough good jokes and creativity for the conceit not to wear thin or grate on the nerves.
Using well-known songs and adapting their lyrics, the show is fun, light-hearted and simple, with the music itself a stand-out feature. Accompanied by a piano, the quartet all have very capable voices, with Liz Balmford’s being particularly powerful, blending together subtly and effectively, with lush harmonies. The ode to Boris Johnson, My Funny Valentine, is particularly perfect, with some beautifully juicy chords. Furthermore, they are expressive and articulate throughout, with every punchline delivered both theatrically and musically. All four of them fully embody their roles, often to hilarious effect, with the only sketch that seemed a little unconvincing being one where two were playing swingers – their overly cloying/slightly desperate treatment of the non-swinging couple just didn’t ring true.
However, this sketch was indicative of the mood of the evening – yes, it was extremely middle class, but it also never shied away from sexual content and was often quite raunchy, with a range from internet dating, to gimp masks, to experiences with Amsterdam prostitutes. Although there were a few sketches that missed the mark – the IT one in particular failed to make its subject matter any less boring than it is in real life– there’s a lot of talent in this quartet, and plenty of humorous moments to make this a very enjoyable night out.
