Edinburgh Fringe 2012
Four Screws Loose in #screwtheworld
James Grant Comedy
Genre: Comedy
Venue:
Festival: Edinburgh Fringe
Low Down
Fast paced action from these four boys in a hit and miss sketch comedy show featuring songs, and subject matter coming under lampooning from computer games and films to boy bands.
Review
Four Screws Loose is a sketch show comedy featuring a quartet of good-looking boys showcasing a fast-paced selection of sketches and songs. Moving at breakneck speed in the style of the Fast Show the sketches on offer range from song parodies in cabaret tradition through to modern day mockeries of computer games characters Mario and Princess Peach.
For the most part the material is strong and cleverly though out- their song interpretations are particularly inventive and their “roasting” of the Coffee shop chain stores analogy, portraying themselves as whores singing to the tune of Lady Marmalade (from Moulin Rogue) is a stroke of total brilliance. Indeed the boys are excellent singers and clearly love the material they are working with. In one sketch, a large amount of audience participation is used and frankly sex education will never be the same as a result.
For the most part though the material often veers into puerility and lowest common denominator gross-out or base “American Pie” style humour, which when shown alongside their musical work makes it disappointing given how truly edgy and spot on they can be.
The material on offer is very mixed and they leap from subject to subject at lightning pace, which is good considering the variable quality and themes- at points they seem to be working with material that is inspired for the most part by other works out there (their curious couple, like something out of League of Gentlemen is amusing but derivative) and the show comes across as a little uncertain as to what direction their work should take (a problem of working in group work- not everything is to everyone’s taste).
On the whole however the boys are genuinely funny, committed and use a huge amount of physicality in their work. The material is a bit hit and miss, but when it does hit, it’s absolutely worth it and given the pace with which they change scene and outfits if something isn’t to your liking, another sketch will be along in a moment to cheer you up again.
