The Hamiltons: High Jinks with the Hamiltons!

Watching the Hamiltons in action is like watching some sort of pantomime car crash. It can be excruciatingly embarrassing, horrifically so, but you just can't look away. Whether it's watching Neil looking terrified as Abi Titmuss drapes herself over him, or watching Christine recreate a controversial "snog" with the head of Oxford's Young Tories (which found its way onto the front page of The Sun back in 1997) with a young sketch comedian, this has to be among the most flat-out bizarre shows on the Fringe.

Of all the conceivably mad ways in which this could have been staged, the chat show format works reasonably well, typically involving four guests and a musical act to close. That said, conversationally it can be a little awkward as Neil and Christine compete with their guests to poke as much fun at themselves as possible. After a while, though, it begins to grate.

Nevertheless, the honesty with which they tear into themselves is refreshing, if a little staged. The opening few minutes consists of Neil and Christine explaining that the only reason that they're on stage at all is that they're broke and don't even have the luxury of being able to sue the News of the World – they've long since ceased to be interesting enough to have their phones hacked. This segment might feel about as spontaneous as a royal wedding, but the pantomime-esque delivery somehow adds to the quirky charm of this show.

It's cringeworthy stuff, but surprisingly entertaining.