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Latest items? Unedited? Fringe Report Uncut
JL Roberts and Nadia Kamil Present: Wisecrackin' Mindsqueezin' Behemoth
Verdict: Sharp, funny sketches
JL Roberts and Nadia Kamil Present: Wisecrackin' Mindsqueezin' Behemoth
Laughter comes thick and fast in this swift-paced sketch show. It has a punchy start that doesn't let up until the end, as amiable hosts John Luke Roberts and Nadia Kamil deliver a sharp and amusing set of sketches. Their show is neatly tied together with a couple of reoccurring ideas, including topics as diverse as Banksy (complete with a great homemade puppet), the BNP (British National Party) and Nadia Kamil's letter-writing that borders on stalking.
They do their own take on Cockney rhyming slang, deliver the rules of etiquette, explore what Mark Ronson would be like in book form, and convey their ideas for presents in Christmas 2009. They show off their theatrical side, performing several spoof songs: Angela Lansbury, Andrew Lloyd Webber and Nick Griffin form the focus of their witty musical numbers. The comedy also features a Stylophone - an instrument they manage to use in a range of versatile ways to enhance the inventive sketches.
A Kate Bush sketch feels a little bit laboured, but even that has its high points. The character section with Nadia Kamil's and John Luke Roberts's mum/dad isn't as sharp as some of the writing, but still packs in the laughs.
They even include extra information at the end of the show in the format of a footnote list - or as they describe it like DVD extras but with no choice but to listen to them - with Sandi Toksvig providing the voiceover, punctuating the sketches. It's all very easy to watch and join in with - they make this type of sketch show look very easy with great writing. They have an original style, and the hour rips by with unexpected speed. It's over all too soon.
Cast Credits: (alpha order): Performers: Nadia Kamil. John Luke Roberts. Voiceover - Sandi Toksvig.
Company Credits: Writers - Nadia Kamil & John Luke Roberts. Director - uncredited. Technical Operator - uncredited. Producer - uncredited. Company - Good Sense Of Humour in association with Dawn Sedgwick Management.
END
(c) Helen Johnson 2008
reviewed Tuesday 12 August 08 / Gilded Balloon, Edinburgh
Fringe Report (c) Fringe Report 2002-2012