Apocalypse Later?

Article by Jean-Xavier Boucherat | 13 Aug 2011

The ten-man strong Apocalypse Later looks a lot like what your lads-on-tour might look like if they forgot about the trip to Xante one summer and formed a sketch troupe instead.

They've made a decent go of it, but the one-hour show is pretty hit and miss. Obviously when it comes to the random variety of sketch comedy, maintaining the laughs throughout is something only the best outfits manage.

But the contrast between the near genius of a spontaneous musical based around that awkward moment when you and a stranger try to dodge around each other in the street - an opening sketch almost worth the cost of the ticket alone - and drier material, like two guys going for dinner without wanting to be mistaken for a couple, makes for uneasy viewing. Parts of the show made me laugh a lot, but at the start of each new sketch was the worry at the back of my mind that we'd all be sitting through another five minutes of mild homophobia or sperm gags.

There's definite potential here, with some particularly great singing, but it's marred by the lackluster material that gets dropped in throughout. The writing needs work, and perhaps a more definite target.

C eca (studio A)

3-13 Aug at 17:25 (0hr55) Tickets from £5.50