The Angry Puppy

As you enter the darkened room you're advised to sit at the front. “It's a sketch show” the usher tells you “so you won't get picked on.” A voice booms over the tannoy introducing the act, then we're knee deep in rebellious synchronized swimmers.

This production is slick. The performers move with practiced ease and the interplay is seamless. There's timing here, total commitment, and a poise and presence that belies their youth. When these girls hit the mark, the results are explosive – a sketch savaging Human Resources raised a cheer, and few will ever forget Susan Calman's “Green Goblin.”

All the same, this show never really hits its stride. With the weight of comedy talent on stage—all of the cast members have either won awards or been on TV or both—you'd expect to be crippled with laughing, but this never happens. It's just quite good.

What's missing is coordination, chemistry. There's the sense that you're looking at an all-star comedy team, none of whom know each other. For all the physical slickness of the production each performer is an autonomous comedy unit, and moments of true cohesion are rare. The audience is often torn between four “funny men” with no “straight guy” to bounce the jokes off.

There's no doubt that these performers are each extremely talented and the evening is worth the asking price... but until they develop the generosity needed to work as a team, this Angry Puppy's bark will remain worse than it's bite.