2011 Edinburgh Fringe
The Ginge, the Geordie and the Geek review
The Ginge, the Geordie and the Geek's show last year was so popular it sold every single seat, and then some more, so their new offering this year has a big reputation to live up to. The sketch trio's All New Show isn't quite in the same league, but it's still an entertaining enough hour.
One of the really big selling points for this likeable threesome is that all their sketches are family-friendly. It's a show you can take your gran and kids to, and all will be entertained. There really isn't enough of this kind of comedy on at the Festival - most shows are too 'sweary' or adult themed for children to see, or in inverse: shows aimed at youngsters but offering nothing for adults. The Ginge, the Geordie and the Geek serve up universal comedy which manages to avoid being patronising and un-challenging - and for this they should be really commended, it is a feat that is much harder to pull off than it may appear at times.
Their style is quite fast-paced, with some sketches lasting no less than 30 seconds on the clock and many rapid costume changes keep things moving quickly. Sadly, where the show falls down is that the punchlines are sometimes not strong enough. A number of sketches generate a small titter or grin from the audience, rather than a big laugh, something which would have resulted from tighter scripting.
Recurring characters crop up during the hour, and although these don't garner many laughs on their first appearances, they do generate bigger laughs each time they return to stage as the audience becomes more familiar with them, and anticipates what they're about to do. The video montage at the end of the show - in which characters like the awkwardly positioned cleaner, the know-it-all Indian Chief and the garden gnomes are seen out in the 'real world' - generates some warm cheers, showing these characters had certainly been taken to heart by the audience by the end.
The best bits of the show - and the ones that get the crowd properly warmed up - are the more ambitious 'big' sketches: a dancing pizza is hold-you-sides funny thanks to some excellent acting; and a musical sketch set around a key cutting shop is ambitious, surreal and a bit magical.
In summary, overall there's just a few too many sketches acting as filler or lacking a sharp punchline in this show, but that said, there is much to enjoy and The Ginge, the Geordie and the Geek is certainly a safe bet if you're looking for something that will entertain the whole family.
Note: this review is for the trio's new 2011 show. They are also performing the 'Best of 09/10' later in the evening too.