REVIEW | The Half Cocked Sketch Show

Reviews

14 Dec

Written by Bronagh

Disclaimer: gifted tickets in exchange for an honest review.

Elliott Campion and Teddy Robson have returned from their hiatus with The Half Cocked Sketch Show, a show that they themselves describe as ‘ludicrous’ where fun is made of everything and everyone. In my opinion, sketch shows are a difficult one and they need to be special to be a success.

Campion and Robson are a fantastic duo, and they really do make use of the small space in the Hen and Chickens Theatre. We have some small props, a table and chairs and a clothes rack. And a speaker that blares Man! I Feel Like a Woman in the first scene – surely a sign of great things to come?

The Half Cocked Sketch Show is an amusing show, there are no two ways about it. There are some genuine laugh out loud scenes, particularly while Campion and Robson dress up like posh youths masquerading as the working class with their slang and outfits - you know the type! Remarkably, we also have gangsters discussing pronouns, thinking up ludicrous scenarios yet demonstrating grammatical rules. Who says sketches aren’t educational?

Some of the sketches didn’t particularly appeal to me, and the laughter felt rather forced. Of course, this is the joy of theatre – what I may find funny somebody else may not and vice versa.

Let’s not steer away from the fact that sketch shows do have a reputation for being offensive and for not ageing particularly well. The Half Cocked Sketch Show does manage to steer away from this; although ribbing at certain members of society, the sketches were widely well received and I personally did not identify anything as massively offensive.

Unlike some of the more modern, smaller shows I have seen, The Half Cocked Sketch Show left politics alone. Politics is an easy one to make a mockery of, but instead, the sketches were more light-hearted and not all that deep. Instead of relying on political jokes, Campion and Robson tap into the likes of job interviews, garden centres and TV news channels – common experiences that most of us have experience of.

The Half Cocked Sketch Show is a breath of fresh air, light-hearted sketch show that does exactly what it set out to do and is as advertised. It may not be groundbreaking, but it is silly, it is entertaining and it really does make fun of just about everything and everyone. Campion and Robson are a fantastic comedy duo, and I truly cannot wait to see what else they have in store for us.

At the Hen and Chickens Theatre 109 St Paul’s Road London N1 2NA until the 18th December 2023.