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PAPPY'S FUN CLUB
Pappy's Fun Club initially seem like your typical
Oxbridgy sketch troupe: fresh-faced, eager and
all rather earnest. Their routines may be defined
by the easy banter between them, but otherwise
start off in a traditional vein, presented with
the oddly false veneer of a magazine-style TV
show.
Scenes such as the horror film based around the
trivial everyday scares that cause you momentary
panic, or the crappy Jeremy Beadle-style prankster
do little to challenge the image. They’re
amusing enough, but hardly revolutionary.
Slowly, though, they start to subvert the expectations
of the genre that they initially played up to;
and longer scenes take genuinely unexpected directions,
offering a rich dollop of stupidity to offset
their winsome presentation.
This works best within their own full-length
shows, where they have the time to properly play
with the ideas, and the audience are happy to
let the modest start grow into something much
more impressive. But Pappy’s are one of
the few sketch groups to also play the stand-up
circuit, where they can have a bumpier ride with
crowds expecting quicker gratification.
Appearances can be deceptive, however, and when
they release it, this tight-knit quartet has a
fearsome amount of upbeat energy. Songs bundle
along joyously, and their lively performances
bring a genuine sense of fun.
There’s an almost tangible gang spirit
between the members, each with a well-defined
role, though versatile enough to drop into other
characters. Tom Parry is the big cuddly fool countered
by Matthew Crosby’s tight, self-conscious
sobriety; Brendan Dodds is full of eager, baby-faced
cheek, while Ben Clark is a more ethereal presence.
Pappy’s are often touted as ‘the
next We Are Klang’ – which is odd,
since the original Klang are very much alive,
productive – and not yet famous in their
own right. But they are, perhaps, Klang’s
younger brothers. They certainly have a similar
sense of fun and attention to detail that makes
their surreal flourishes almost credible, but
without the boisterousness, recklessness and filth.
There’s still a slight ‘hit-and-miss’
feeling to the sketches, but the best are sublime.
And it’s easy to let their obvious expertise
blind you to the fact they are still relative
newcomers, with as-yet untapped potential to become
an even more impressive comedy force.
Steve Bennett
Original link: http://www.chortle.co.uk/comics/p/33308/pappys_fun_club/review/
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