Crybabies @ Heroes, Boteco

The trio of Crybabies set the silly bar good and high from the start as a shapeshifting spy, taking the form of a moustache, murders some Nazis. One of the cast members exclaims “It doesn’t make any sense, Ladies and Gentlemen”. Yes, there’s plenty of weirdness here, but it’s harnessed well within a functional plot that brings the audience along with the trio.

They’re each impressive performers in their own right. Watching Ed Jones jump from character to character seamlessly, his face gliding between expressions and his physical form tweaking, was a beautiful thing to witness. James Gault has the audience in stitches as Porky, a benign idiot reminiscent of Neil from The Young Ones, his gangly frame being leveraged (quite literally at times) for maximum laughs. Michael Clarke keeps the energy high throughout and is brilliantly in tune with the audience. Together they combine wonderfully to bring out the full potential of the superb material. 

The show breaks away into very enjoyable, very surreal interludes that dip into the plot Crybabies have made for themselves. Porky’s dream sequence in particular is a two-fold gag and callback resulting in a great wave of absurdist wonderment. There are no wasted moments, each segment strong in its own right whilst building up to a heightened finale. 

These guys are natural-born performers and bubble at the surface with energy, melding together to put on a tightly written hour that has the entire room revelling in their absurd story. What a wonderful nonsense!

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Crybabies: Danger Brigade, Heroes @ Boteco (Basement), until 25 Aug (not 14), 4pm, £5/PWYW