Sketch show antics are a hit

THE BI-ANNUAL BARBECUE AND OTHER STORIES
Rosemary Branch Theatre

THE Dog-Eared Collective presents a series of comic sketches based around the weird and wonderful Sea Goat Island. The show centres on the efforts of the islanders to stage their bi-annual barbecue following the flooding of the island in a terrible storm.
Set over 10 days of island life, the play takes in the trials and travails of machete-wielding gender-confused Morris dancers, Barry Manilow obsessed gypsies and a donkey with a heavy coke habit. And that’s just for starters.
This likeable comedy is unashamedly whimsical, silly and surreal, very much in the vein of television’s The Mighty Boosh. The cast throw themselves into the madness with an appealing lack of cynicism. There are occasions when the action is all a little too shouty and over-reliant on funny costumes and exaggerated accents, but it is in the nature of sketch shows to be hit and miss. The cast’s enthusiasm is infectious enough for the weaker sketches to be forgiven.
Crucially, there is some genuinely funny material on display here. The strongest sketches involve a twisted circus run by a sinister maestro whose party piece is creating pyramids with babies. His other acts include a tall man and a small woman who bicker incessantly, a very simple device that is brilliantly exploited by the performers. There are sections where the humour is very nicely understated, showing that this team can do more than just go over the top.
The show moves along at a cracking pace, culminating in the exhilarating anarchy of the barbecue itself. This is a production with a lot of rough edges, but also one of real charm, energy and most importantly, laughs.
Until March 12
020 7704 6665