Skiddlywup review: ‘the comedy sketch trio have never lost their original flavour’

Skiddlywup
Smock Alley
September 9th - 19th
*****
A guy is brought into the sittingroom of a house he's viewing where he finds a hundred people sitting watching him. The potential housemate reassures him, "they're really good listeners, and they love questions". Ahhhs and yesses abound, until a guy eating from a box of Frosties tells the new guy that he's "shite." The audience agrees, braying at him to "Dance! Dance!"

Much like in this sketch, stepping into a Foil, Arms, and Hog show is like sitting down on a mate’s couch for some particularly memorable high octane high nonsense. There is comfort in being in a theatre when they’re on stage.

Over the past six years the comedy sketch trio have never lost their original flavour, but simply gained in dexterity and showmanship. In Skiddlywup they’re masterful on stage and off, greeting you on your way in, ushering you out, and as the kids say these day, they ‘own it’.

Bat-pooh crazy and observational quips make up Skiddlywup, where at one point we find ourselves in a secret service where racial and gender discrimination of any kind is unacceptable, leading to Hog being sent undercover in the Congo with his wife Leonella played by Arms. Let Leonella’s words be a warning to you if you go see them – “You in the Congo now fool!” Smashes cymbal.