Anyone for Tennis?’s Abacus Birdcage Gramophone Lamp is best described in their own words – a collection of random things. Expanding on their established strength as a musical comedy duo, this new show allows the boys to more fully explore their absurdist tendencies.
After the strong story-based shows over the past few years, Abacus Birdcage Gramaphone Lamp throws plot to the wind and just presents an onslaught of sketch comedy. The jokes come thick and fast with rarely a sketch lasting more than a few minutes and a few one-liner interstitials keep the night flowing. Absurdism is normally the order of the day, but there’s a wide variety of humour to be found and the effortless charm of both Jase and Doody keep the audience from ever feeling lost.
Aside from the sketches, AFT? also have a few new songs to show off, and they’ve lost none of their musical talent. Catchy original tunes manage to keep the jokes funny throughout and never threaten to outstay their welcome. The sketch format also provides a great way for their music to shine without making this the deluge of song after song that musical comedy can often be reduced to.
While not everything they’re trying here is a success, when they do get it right they really nail it and it completely overshadows any moments of failure. Anyone For Tennis? have always been about more than just simply musical comedy, and this show provides a great showcase of the greatness that they’re capable of.
For full details and bookings, visit The Comedy Festival website