The Studio, Edinburgh – until 30th March.
Reviewed by James Knight
2**
Two actors (John Shedden and Finlay McLean) and a skeleton take us through an exploration of a variety of characters, some all too recognisable in everyday life, and others more obscure. Although advertised as a series of sketches, the show plays out more like a collection of interlinked monologues and duologues, with smatterings of comedy, drama and philosophical musings, written and directed by David Henry Wilson.
As is the danger with sketch shows, or, perhaps more accurately in this case ‘compilation’ shows, some scenes will succeed better than others. Particular highlights are the ‘Old Critics’, two luvvies bemoaning the state of modern-day theatre and the world whilst remaining completely oblivious to their lack of relevance, and ‘The Wordsmith’, a comment on the evolution of words and how they have changed over the years. Other scenes suffer due to a tendency to pull out a point to its extremes. Potentially interesting segments, such as the interviews with Shylock and Hamlet, bordered on overstaying their welcome, while ‘The Eye Test’, despite being played with a mischievous twinkle in the eye of Mr Shedden, lacks the spontaneity of some of the late Ronnie Barker’s ‘instructional’ videos (‘How To Speak Swedish’ sprung to mind), and labours the message for too long. ‘Brevity is the soul of wit’, indeed.
But the performers themselves are at their best when playing off each other, particularly in ‘Prime Minister meets President’, a thinly veiled imagining of the Bush/Blair eras, although, in this current political climate, could just as easily be a toned-down vision of the future, and whomever takes over the unenviable position of Theresa May and the deluded Trump. Both actors slip into various characters with ease, showcasing their chameleonic abilities, even if some of the pacing could have been tighter. And, as the ‘Old Critics’ might have mentioned, in an age of mumbling stage and screen actors, the old school of diction and clarity won out, as every word was crystal clear in whichever accent was being deployed.
A valiant, if shaky effort.