Flapperty Twuffolk is a sleepy little Surrey village populated by Daily Mail readers, bitchy women and mass murderers, as well as the Prime Minister when he's in his top secret hideout (just opposite the tea shop) because of a fiendish terrorist attack involving something to do with the weather. Alternatively, The Flapperty Twuffolks are a four-piece comedy troupe out to make fun of some very English obsessions, setting their character-led sketches around the village's community TV station on the day of said terrorist attack.
The sketches are a bit hit and miss, but when they hit they are delightfully silly with genuine big laughs - we nearly spat out our drinks twice. The misses aren't cringeworthily bad, just a little dull (you will probably tune out during the Loose Women spoof). But the pace is good so these lulls pass quickly, and there are some great recurring gags during the audio 'adverts' in between scenes; we particularly loved the determined anti-French Crimestoppers sentiments.
However, the main reason this show is so enjoyable - as well as the tea and jam tarts (tea and jam tarts!) the audience gets on entry - is cast member Mark Hayden. With a gift for over-the-top voices and embodying ludicrous personas, Skin Deep feels a bit flat when he's not on stage. His 'Prime Minister' is a creepily accurate Cameron, we feared he was going to have an aneurysm as a Middle England Angry Man and were gasping for breath as his weird German scientist demonstrated a fetish for S&M chocolate marshmallows. Worth the entry price alone.
Skin Deep by The Flapperty Twuffolks is on at The Camden Head, 100 Camden High Street, at 2.45pm on 8th, 9th, 16th and 20th August. The Camden Fringe runs until 29th August.
