Comedy

Comedy Bitch is propelled onto Underbelly’s stage by three men, three women, and no weak links. The first part of their slogan is 'Sometimes being funny isn’t enough'. They go on to say, rather blandly, that you have to be 'really funny', but I’m going to use their words to make another point: good sketches are about more than bringing in the laughs.  

The American comic Harvey Korman said the best sketch is like a little play, with a beginning, middle and end. Dramatic craftsmanship is what this articulate team excel at. It’s a product of the considerable theatrical background that they all share, which invests their work with striking credibility. Whether they amble on or open mid-scene, your belief in the characters doesn’t waver. Their sketches are lovely little morsels of well-acted comedy, delicious and perfectly formed.

Each scenario ends with a punch. They don't waste words: scenes are often brief, serving their purpose before the cast move on effortlessly to the next.  Every sketch is entertaining; some are hilarious.

Like the best observational work, Comedy Bitch applies fresh treatments to familiar activities, from battling the self-checkouts at Tesco, to blind dates and babysitting. They often chuck in a surreal twist so that if you had been trying to predict the ending, theirs would be funnier. Children are unexpectedly large, characters from computer games come alive, a pub quiz alternates between terrifying and jovial.  

You can feel a TV contract beckoning, not just because of the promising quality, but the very style of it. The brief, punchy scenes are perfect for TV audiences with a low attention span. The group have particular fun with voiceovers. Someone has an unruly inner monologue, someone else is badly dubbed. Music tracks are employed as more than just padding, including a simply brilliant and zeitgeisty song and dance on a bus. 

As is virtually unavoidable, some scenes are stronger than others. A show that is consistently as funny as their best material would be a dream, and one that I hope they attempt to realise. Well worth a visit, and I think we’ll be seeing them again soon.

Comedy Bitch is on at the Underbelly, 6-30 August at 17:35.