Lady Garden

All-girl sketch troupe and Fringe favourites Lady Garden are a member down on previous years – they are now a quintet rather than a sextet. Sadly, it seems they have lost more than just a performer, as this largely laugh-free 60 minutes demonstrates.

A promising opening scene makes wonderful use of a very famous film score, transposing it to a bedraggled-looking hen night. Unfortunately this is very much the high water mark and leads to a baffling downward spiral in both tone and content.

Many of the sketches are odd rather than funny, jarring with a number of extended pun-based skits. These are returned to or explored in depth when they are only really worth a throwaway line or two. A pointlessly sexual take on a trip to the opticians is hugely misjudged and, despite a few nice sketches in the middle section, the team never manage to build up any comic momentum. 

The show ends on a high with a nice unexpected callback but by this point it’s a matter of damage limitation rather than finishing with a flourish. It’s a shame because there’s no doubt that all five members are massively talented and confident performers. Each of the comedians has a very particular role to play within the group dynamic and take on their individual characters with relish.

It’s telling that many of the best moments come not from the writing but from a furtive glance or aside by one of the five girls.