The Grandees

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From the moment The Grandees burst onto the stage, arms flailing and voices raised, the tone of the next hour is set. It’s a characteristically raucous start for a show which revels in the unexpected but which, ultimately, feels like it’s simply making a lot of noise.

Having dispensed with the narrative structure which gave focus to their previous Edinburgh efforts, The Grandees embark instead on a sketch show proper. There’s a loose idea that we’re being told a collection of twisted bedtime stories but that doesn't matter as much as the parade of grotesque misfits we're presented with.

Mixing fairy tale with the surreal, Marny Godden and Tom Turner dance, gurn and growl their way through the show. Godden in particular has a notable shape-shifting quality that makes her an intriguing and occasionally compelling performer.

There’s very little reason or logic to the sketches within The Grandees but that, they suggest, is part of the enjoyment. You can’t help but feel, however, that Godden and Turner are having more fun with this than the audience are. There’s a reliance on decades-old popular culture references that make The Grandees feel immediately dated, while Godden and Turner often seem content to use a mild expletive in place of having written something actually funny.

There’s an energy about the duo which runs through all of their characters, making it impossible to dismiss them entirely – but this cannot ultimately compensate for the flawed show which houses them.