Dan Antopolski, Tom Craine & Nat Luurtsema: Jigsaw

Article by Bernard O'Leary | 14 Aug 2011

Craine, Antopolski & Luurtsema. A comedy fan's dream, a sub-editor's nightmare. They've combined forces to produce Jigsaw, a sketch group that firmly favour quality over quantity.

Moving at a pace that makes The Fast Show look like Proust, Jigsaw pack dozens of sketches into their hour. Some feel like they're being abandoned in the middle and there's an uneven tone that has the audience laughing in shifts: one pocket will warmly receive one sketch, then sit in stony silence while their neighbours appreciate the next sketch.

The best moments are the recurring jokes that are allowed to develop: the doctor attempting to break some tragic news and Luurtsema's attempts to find true love. Luurtsema herself is tragically underused here. She has a terrific goofy warmth as a solo comedian; in Jigsaw she is too often used as a straight man to counterbalance the antics of her partners.

Supergroups often don't have the same chemistry as groups who have emerged organically, and so it is with Jigsaw. They're not yet up to the standard of the more established sketch groups in town, but the good news is that there's an obvious wealth of talent in this show and definite promise for the future. If they slow down a bit and focus on quality, then they could become a force to be reckoned with.

Dan Antopolski, Tom Craine & Nat Luurtsema: Jigsaw, Pleasance Courtyard, August 5-29, 17:45, £8.50/£7