Shirley and Shirley: Carnage!

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Three o’clock in the afternoon is probably not an ideal time to watch a police officer have his gentlemanly way with a wide boy gambler, but then when is? 

Shirley and Shirley do not hold back, quickly getting to the nitty gritty. Their personalities are all over this show, which takes pleasure in its own ridiculousness and successfully creates a world of colourful and distinctive characters. However, throughout there is a nagging feeling that something is missing. Despite all the components being there, the jigsaw just does quite fit, predominately because the sketches lack any kind of bite.

Regardless, they cannot be accused of having unoriginal ideas – from a Jamaican Kate and Pippa Middleton to a lesbian frisson between a very desperate Australian teacher and her frisky French colleague. Others include knock-off pop-dance duo Half Rice and Chips, gap year students selling their experience of Ugan You Can, and a particularly successful matchmaking session between one Shirley and a positively giddy audience member.

Each manifestation is faultlessly acted, with every nuance and quirk of the characters brought out through meticulous attention to detail. This, coupled with the chemistry between the Shirleys is, at times, joyous. It is not enough, however, to rescue the show from being almost exclusively based on obscure references and linguistic trickery, as opposed to anything more solid or relatable. Despite temporarily wooing them with their individuality, Shirley and Shirley are ultimately unable to maintain their hold over a fairly underwhelmed audience.