Brighton Fringe 2008
Low Down
A clever and witty comedy drama, set in the gloomy times of Victorian London, performed with enthusiasm and energy.
Review
This entertaining trio of actors, famed for their successful Edinburgh Sketch Show Aeneas Faversham: A Victorian Comedy Sketch Show, produce a hugly entertaining Victorian Comedy Detective Drama at this year’s Brighton Fringe.
Armed with a sparse array of costumes and props, each of the three men play a myriad of roles; ranging from a fey little ‘wifey’ to an evil and mysterious foreman. As the characters are often only to be identified by differing accents, it could be confusing to keep track of who’s who, as the character names, (mired as they are in the relentless world of Victorian melodrama) often sound similar. However, the actor’s comic postures and dedication to their roles, meant this didn’t become an issue.
The plot of the mystery centers around the delightfully absurdly named ‘Oysters McGee’ and his desire to be reborn and take over the world with his evil ways. Using the construction site for Tower Bridge as the headquarters for the ‘brotherhood’ he uses his chief supporter to construct a dastardly plan (which I won’t spoil for you here!)
This is a stupidly silly piece of comedy theatre, with definite shades of Monty Python – not least because the wildly differing heights of the three actors make their comic interactions all the more amusing. Their absurd facial expressions, carefully timed sound effects and hilarious physicality combine to create a piece that had the audience laughing throughout.
It was also refreshing to see a comedy that sprung from such an imaginative and unusual concept, yet did not rely on crude and filthy humour. These three guys will go far – and you have one more change to catch them, as they are performing at the Udderbelly on the 23rd May.
Printable review here
