2010 Edinburgh Fringe
Comedy Bitch review
It is a truth universally known that any Fringe show serious in its quest for attention will contain a big fat expletive in the title. It's a tactic that seems to have worked out pretty well for sketch group Comedy Bitch - and y'know it's not even like 'bitch' is particularly the baddest sweary going. This Is Us is the group's second August outing in Edinburgh, and their reputation and collection of four and five star reviews just keeps growing.
In fact, the show is more thoughtful and friendly than the 'Bitch' label would have you know. The 'Comedy' part though - that bit's pretty spot on. Kicking off with a sketch that sort of resembles an inspired mix of Jumanji and Evil Dead 2, the concept seems clever and promising enough. But there's a hint of that comedy revue flappy acting style that renders many sketch shows irritating, and for a second all that anticipation looks to be for nothing. Just as soon as worries appear, they vanish. The cast find their feet and there's a perceptible gear change. At a time when most onscreen sketch fare is pretty painful, it's an impressive feat that the hour-long performance rattles in faster than most half hour TV sketch shows.
In terms of writing, the show is at its strongest when dissecting relationships and friendships - insights and truths woven into wry fantasies. It may have something to do with the three guys, three girls gender balance of the cas - the sexist digs are pretty equitably spread and the humour comes off as something altogether more human.
The cast (Sophie Wright, Louise Howells and Hannah Gittos; Jonathan Brook, Tom Lyall-Cottal and Ben Kewi) are uniformly strong and onstage there's an amiable lack of ego.
It's a comedy review cliche to describe sketch shows as 'mixed bags', but with Comedy Bitch said mixed bag consists of the hilarious and the merely funny. Its like eating a bag of Revels with all the coffee ones taken out.
Comedy Bitch: Them Is Us listing