Warm-up act Helen O'Troy (Helen Terry) is the new comedic beautician in town - with lines of consultation brisk enough to take the hairs off of any victims' chest. Her warped approach to beauty-therapy scratches at more than the surface of salon chit-chat - it delves into areas people like to hide from even the most trustworthy beauty therapist. Helen O'Troy isn't the kind to be trusted with an aspirin, let alone colonic irrigation.

The Reading Berks (* note at end) - with snappy direction from Maria Deegan and masterful sound-score from Nigel Quin - fly through a cultural collage with charming observation. From chav to Chelsea, Thames Valley Pop-Up sketch Book gives a guided tour of the social highs and lows of Berks and its socialites.

Una Carr gives a buggy-pushing, vodka-swilling performance of Primark Is A Chav's Best Friend. Una Carr and Wendy Thomson show how Sex [Isn't] In The City Of Reading. The inflated egos of Kate Winslet (Wendy Thomson) and Ricky Gervais (Ian Holgate) battle it out at the Competitive Film Awards.

Highlights include The Reading Berks' version of 1980s Swedish pop-group Abba's hit single Waterloo - with new lyrics about the mayhem of public transport to London; and sketches on the turmoil of Berkshire's one-way systems and local politics. But those not familiar with local topics will miss the comedy in a fair few sketches. Conversely that's what makes it work so well with those who are: local people laughing at their local lives.

Cast Credits: (alpha order): Una Carr, Charlotte De'allie, Ian Holgate, Nigel Quin, Oli Stephens, Alex Thomson, Wendy Thomson.

Company Credits: Writers – Stuart Cooper, Louise Croombs, Gill Smith, the company. Director – Maria Deegan. Technical Operator – Alex Thomson. Producer – Wendy Thomson. Company – The Reading Berks Comedy Production Company. Website - www.myspace.com/readingberks.

END

(c) Jenny Glithero 2009

reviewed Wednesday 22 July 2009 / Lovibonds Brewery, Henley UK