FESTIVAL COMEDY | Reviews
LEBENSMÜDE Pitch perfect sketches fear the dark ●●●●●
After running comedy and performance evenings in that London, Lebensmüde (which consists of Celeste Dring, Edward Kiely and Freya Parker) make their Edinburgh debut. This trio is jostling for space among all the other sketch groups in the Fringe programme and have sensibly opted to abstain from trying to shout the loudest or be the most gratingly ‘zany’, instead concentrating on developing a series of semi-linked sketches that show off their talents to the best effect.
The group takes a theatrical approach to sketch writing. Each original character is fleshed out, the accents are spot on – except when they’re not meant to be – and the humour evolves from progressions in the storyline. The result is something more akin to Green Wing’s serial narrative than Smack the Pony’s sketch format but is reminiscent of the brand of humour used in each, with Sally Phillips an easy point of comparison for both Dring and Parker’s performances.
Interspersed with a relationship storyline are a few one-offs:
the impression of BBC 6 Music’s earnestness is pitch perfect but a skit involving a German television programme doesn’t replicate the show’s generally high standards. Lebensmüde translates as ‘weary of life’ but the originality and vigour of the group belies any fatigued misanthropy. One of the sketches treads into darker territory to depict a fanatical friendship and is all the stronger for it, but there is definitely scope for them to go further down the path of depravity. At a running time of 45 minutes, there’s just the right amount of finely-wrought comedy that flirts with silliness while remaining tightly controlled, skilfully performed and delightful to witness. (Suzanne Black) ■ Laughing Horse @ Jekyll & Hyde, 225 2022, until 25 Aug, 12.45pm, free.
I
G N L R U H T T T A M
N A K U S L D I
I
DAVID TRENT Strong satire let down by flaccid finale ●●●●● MATT OKINE Grasping towards a bigger narrative ●●●●●
CHRIS COLTRANE Political comic never quite hits the mark ●●●●●
Cassetteboy meets stand-up in David Trent’s new Fringe show. The follow-up to last year’s debut success, Trent has brought along his trusty PowerPoint once more to unpick the hidden subtext of modern advertising, corporate oligarchs who are slowly but surely monitoring our every move and even some hard-hitting stuff on Dawn Porter and anal hygiene.
Just as with last year, this is a slick set that
relies almost completely on the success of its AV accompaniment. Trent has mashed clips together, intercut politics with business and deconstructed the inherent lunacy of TV sales pitches for a superbly observed hour of scathing satire. It’s strange watching Trent sometimes, however.
On the one hand, he conforms to a certain stereotype of the portly, angry, middle-aged male who vents about the idiocy of yuppie society, but also confounds it by addressing issues with creativity, novelty and comic flair. This paradox is left hanging in the air at the crux of the set: an utterly lazy final section which flattens the routine. We’re in bailout territory by the end, which spoils a fruitful hour of critical comedy. (Andrew Latimer) ■ Pleasance Dome, 556 6550, until 25 Aug, 10.45pm, £10–£12 (£8.50–£10.50).
104 THE LIST 22 Aug–19 Sep 2013
With this solid Fringe debut hour, affable Aussie Matt Okine races through a torrent of material with an eye for the intermittently strange. Gentlemen, how many of you have attempted, even just the once, to orally pleasure yourself? The ensuing atmosphere suggested that a fair smattering have tried to pull off a feat much trumpeted in urban legend, but Okine is graphic and hilarious when recollecting his own successful venture.
Elsewhere, he discusses his African / European roots and proceeds to reflect on a reunion with his Ghanaian heritage. Okine is relentlessly upbeat (even when chatting about how best to respond in an armed robbery situation), and in his world an awful lot of things are ‘sick’ (in the contemporary, good way).
His main ambition seems to be achieving a certain amount of wealth and he confesses to being a little jealous of his rich friends. Although there’s nothing wrong with ambition and it reflects the traditional stand-up status as being the underdog, it feels like he’s merely grasping towards a bigger narrative here. But then, maybe that’s what the ‘difficult’ second Fringe show is made for. (Brian Donaldson) ■ Underbelly, Bristo Square, 0844 545 8252, until 26 Aug, 6pm, £10–£12 (£9–£11).
As he steps on stage in front of a full house, Chris Coltrane enquires if we are all aware that this will be a political comedy show. Duly warned, the audience endures a long hour of idealistic views and Tory- bashing begins. Part activist and part comedian, Coltrane enthusiastically tackles the issues of austerity, energy, the current government and gay marriage.
To be fair, he avoids going on a rant and
includes some delectably laughable quotes from Conservative politicians. His plan to saturate the Home Office’s phone lines over the ‘racist van’ scandal even sounds feasible, while his vision of turning a Starbucks into a daycare centre is one remarkable example of peaceful protest. However, he never seems to feel entirely
comfortable on stage and his delivery is somewhat questionable. His material would best work in a tighter set and the lecturing tone gets pretty wearisome after a while.
The show’s message and Coltrane’s purpose are nevertheless commendable: in a world of ever- greater inequality, we must strive to renew a more compassionate society. (Robin Ford-Coron) ■ Globe, 226 0000, until 24 Aug, 3.30pm, free.