Kieran and Joe: Friends of Steel

Double act Kieran Hodgson and Joe Parham reckon they know the key to the perfect friendship – it's a secret they want to pass on in this upbeat, pacy series of sketches centred around a 'friendship training seminar.'

Their "six golden rules of friendship" are each explored using skits, while the narrative throughline fleshes out the characters' history and evolving relationship through a series of shorter vignettes. 

Considering these are all performed by two hyperactive men in matching sportswear—strangely evoking the Chuckle Brothers—Kieran and Joe explore some fairly edgy subjects. But it's an indication of the pair's affability that jokes about murder, paedophilia, incest and euthanasia seem oddly sweet as opposed to offensive or shocking. 

Theirs is very much the classic double-act dynamic and they wisely don't stray too far from the template; Kieran is the loveable idiot, while Joe is the uptight grump. Each sticks to their respective roles with verve and there's an almost tangible amount of chemistry; it wouldn't be surprising if the two finished each others' sentences off the stage, never mind on.

A fair bit of audience interaction adds to the variety (avoid the front row if that's not your thing) and is well worked – a skit using Eminem's Stan is every bit as dark as the original. And a lot funnier. 

It's all nicely structured and their performances strong – even when the pace slows during a weaker middle section, it's only a momentary lapse. The dynamic duo quickly get back into their stride for the increasingly silly home straight, finishing (of course) with a song.