This is a sketch comedy show, suitable for all those that enjoy great
jokes and a storyline to go with it. Graham Avent and Jon Monie have been
together since 1989 and although Avent nearly stopped comedy completely to take
on a full time marketing job, the pair ended up returning to Edinburgh in 2013
and are back with
Avent and Monie are pros at the back and forth, constantly on the same page, setting each other up perfectly and executing punchlines expertly.
The show is split into an exploration of Avent and Monie’s own careers in comedy, conversations that take place backstage (whilst being onstage), and the sketches that they perform together. It is all incredibly well written, with a good balance between the silly and the intelligent. Throughout the conversations ‘backstage’ they explore their career and pitfalls of the past, comparing their relationship to a marriage and playing with it expertly. The ‘onstage’ section was a compilation of refreshingly original sketches. This was broken up with shorter sketches displayed on a VT of their own Youtube videos, to give them time for big costume changes.
Avent and Monie are pros at the back and forth, constantly on the same page, setting each other up perfectly and executing punchlines expertly. This is my favourite sketch show in Edinburgh so far, showing innovative comedy and clever mechanisms which are a joy to sit and watch. My favourite sketches include snobbish nearly-borns, wise-cracking workmen (which, though a worn character combo, is re-examined well) and, my favourite sketch probably of all time, a sexually frustrated librarian and her book club partner.
If you are looking for a sketch comedy show (and there seem to be an extraordinary amount this year) this would be a terrific place to start. Though not every sketch hits extraordinary heights, this writer saw the show twice due to technical difficulties in the first performance, and both times found himself releasing some truly satisfying belly laughs. Recommended for anyone that just likes to laugh.
