The Black Sheep
Pleasance

Budding writers and performers take note, here is a prime example of how to turn some reasonably good comic ideas into a hateful hotch-potch of comedic porridge. Many of the punch-lines endured a fate worse than death, silence. Which is a shame because some of the other sketches were nearing brilliance until they refused to end and dragged their dead un-funny carcases across the silent stage yet again to try and milk the last laugh from a barren cow. Extended gaps pepper the show like bloody great big unwanted full stops which destroy any momentum the previous sketch generated. Worst of all is that there are bits which don't seem to be subject to any thought at all and seem nothing but dressing-up exercises.

Even with cutting, editing and re-directing, this hour has no more than 30 minutes of totally watchable material, which is a shame when you think they've probably had a year to write and rehearse. The saving grace is that the ideas are there, they just need someone to tell them which ones are flocking funny and which ones are black sheep.

Baaaaaaaad