Adelaide Fringe. Mixed Doubles Sketch Comedy Quartet. Holden Street Theatres. 3 Mar 2014
Direct from GB, Mixed Doubles brings good old fashioned sketch comedy to the Fringe at Holden Street. The quartet of Will Close, Megan Smith, Paul Aitchison and Rose Robinson met at Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts near London a few years ago and thought bringing a hearty laugh to people was the ticket to see the world. Without any blather, the crew launched into the material - humourous vignettes of life mostly from the experiences of people around their own ages of late 20s and early 30s.
What makes the English laugh about themselves also is very funny here in Adelaide, augmented with a few hilarious local references. The social scientists in attendance might agree that instead of mixed doubles, the guys and girls are playing against each other. The boys frequently serve out-of-bounds and have a less mature forearm, they get backhanded by the gals, and prove somewhat inept around the age-old question: What do women want? But this isn't a show for the Freudians. The audience laughed heartily at the zinger double-entendres, endearing facial expressions and even a bit of magic. Breakups and first encounters were a frequent feature, and these big moments have their bathos.
Quite simply, an entertaining hour of surprises and laughs in a fast-paced and well executed show.
David Grybowski
When: 5 to 16 Mar
Where: Holden Street Theatres - The Arch
Bookings: adelaidefringe.com.au
