Review: HORRIGAN & HOWELL: A SKETCH TOO FAR, The Space - Edinburgh Festival Fringe

Comedy is a big part of the Edinburgh Fringe, so much so that many may suggest it to be the Festival’s bread and butter. Over the years, countless comedy productions have flocked to the Fringe, each bringing something that is uniquely their own and something that they hope will appeal and win over audiences. 

From stand up to musical comedy, to stories that audience members can relate to, to comedies so out there that they provide absurdist escapism, comedians at the Fringe have a wide appeal and this year, the Festival has provided a launch pad for new sketch comedy show, Horrigan and Howell: A Sketch Too Far. 

With characters that you may have heard on Sketch Tonic, a podcast by the show’s team, A Sketch Too Far rattles through many a quick and silly sketch in its 50-minute running time, leaving the audience laughing out loud as Liam Horrigan, Matthew Howell, Jo Hartland and Georgia Bradley play a multitude of different characters. 

From sketches about confusion over who is or isn’t adopted, a voiceover artist struggling over long words in a fantasy book and desperately trying to think of ideas for the 57th variety of bean, this is a production that is full of silliness which also has a darker side with scenes depicting a mix up between a car and a nazi rally, and references to other subjects that some may find uncomfortable. 

Comedy is always subjective and what may have one audience member laughing out loud may unsettle another. But it’s made clear from the very first sketch that this may not be a show for everyone, and that’s the Fringe for you, everything is different for different audiences. Some people may find it a struggle to laugh when jokes apply directly to Covid, death and the IRA but sometimes laughter is the best way to handle difficult subjects and the team in this production, whilst making close to the mark jokes, handle it in such a way that you can’t help but laugh with them. 

In a mixture of light hearted and darker sketches, combined with a little bit of audience interaction for good measure, A Sketch Too Far is a delight of a show, and whilst it may not suit everybody’s sense of humour, if you love a cheeky laugh at something a bit darker, get yourself down to Theatre 1, The Space @ Surgeons Hall at 6.15pm.

**** Four stars

Reviewed by: Rebecca Wallis

A Sketch Too Far plays at the Festival until 27 August, with tickets available here.