Random Saturday Night At The Camden Fringe

Lindsey
By Lindsey Last edited 187 months ago
Random Saturday Night At The Camden Fringe
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With a rainy Saturday night vacuum opening up in front of our terrified eyes we turned to the Camden Fringe programme for salvation and randomly picked two shows to go to, to keep us from "Last Choir Standing" and the rotting contents of the fridge. Happily, we picked well and for a modest £15 total, got served up 2 dollops of funniness in 2 Camden venues and came out beaming.

First up: Teak Show's Twisted Sketches at Liberties Bar. Jackie Stirling and Johnny Hansler's dark sketch show opens with them having had the mother of all arguments, blaming his bad breath and her (non-existent) fatness. Still, on with the show, there's nothing like stringing together comedy skits with mutual loathing. This filthy pair deliver fine character performances ranging from Noel Coward lovers longing to talk dirty, smug Eurotrash of indeterminate origin, posh folk on chav shag holiday and odd northerners with reality issues. Then there's Jackie's organic hummus health freak whose desperate cry of "someone get me a pro-biotic yoghurt before it's too late" was cuttingly portentous and very, very funny. Although, cheesy Wotsits should never be wasted like that. Playing till Tuesday night at 7.15pm, Liberties Bar £7.50.

Second helping: Chambers & Nettleton at Etcetera Theatre. This was packed out. People were squished onto front row stools and perched on the stairs to see the UK's only female comedy double act. From Sunderland. Lynn and Sally are instantly charming, affable northerners and their opening gambit of warming up the more than ready audience with a search for potential boyfriends was hilarious. Their scripted pieces aren't as strong as their natural banter although Lynn's cruise ship song intervals, accompanied by Sally's mouth trumpet or imaginary drumkit, are hootingly silly. Their respective roles work: Lynn being smarter, tidier, more responsible, literally taller with Sally as the shorter, sillier, messier, would rather be in the London Aquarium watching fish sidekick. We're sorry that this was their final night on the Fringe and glad that they deservedly sold out but you can find out more about the divine pair and follow their flatsharing fortunes on their soon to be redeveloped website.

Full Camden Fringe listings and booking info is on their website www.camdenfringe.org and it runs till 24 August.

Last Updated 10 August 2008