Ginger & Black: The Chill Factory

Murder, She Wrote star Angela Lansbury in jail for human trafficking; seductive serial killers; goldfish-fixated psychopaths: they're all part of the wonderful and surreal world of Ginger and Black.

This comedy duo—taking their moniker from the respective colour of their hair and skin—are never less than slick in this genre-blurring sketch show/comic play. Using a combination of video, some quite startling costumes, and a deft eye for the ridiculous, the pair welcome the audience into their fantastically-twisted minds. 

The action centres around Lucy Jones, a sexy femme fatale who disposes of her victims in ever more outlandish ways. Jailed after her third murder, the plot follows her quest for freedom as she introduces the audience to a cavalcade of ever-weirder characters – including the memorably sinister Nancy whose talents with a needle and thread are ghoulish in the extreme.

It's a little messy at points, and some of the skits are over-long – the general rule here is the shorter the sketch, the bigger the laugh. The plot is a slightly confusing and several segments are noticeably forced to fit in with the theme, while there's an occasional over-reliance on extended metaphors. But any shortcomings are just about mitigated by the performers' sheer gusto and infectious enthusiasm.

It is always a joy to see performers effortlessly spark off each other, something that seems to come naturally for Ginger and Black. The Chill Factory is a piece of macabre comedy which lingers in the mind more than most.