Twins

★★★
comedy review (edinburgh) | Read in About 2 minutes
Published 13 Aug 2014

Credit where credit's due: there's a structure and a concept to Twins. And, lordy, is it paper-thin. It goes thus: Annie McGrath and Jack Barry are identical twins, looking for their third, long-lost, twin. That's it. And they're not even actual identical twins. Within this flimsy frame of reference, the pair trot through a series of equally half-baked sketches, shonky costume changes and dead-end audience interactions. And, here's the thing: it's unfeasibly good fun.

What's not immediately apparent is that this level of chaotic shoddiness takes some work to pull off. And McGrath and Barry pull it off with aplomb. They bicker and jibe at each other – a shtick that could feel forced were they not absolutely all over each other's cues. They shove each other about with choreographed fluidity. They step in and out of character ("are you acting?" / "I'm about to, yeah.") with timing that shows off their skill as comic actors, as well as an awareness of the lunacy of their act.

For the most part, this is flimsy, throwaway stuff, gilded only by the verve and chemistry of the duo who deliver it. One sketch, however is worth the (erm, free) entry alone. It is unique—to my limited knowledge—in being delivered mainly in Mandarin. And it's a bit of a showstopper. Why bother with a fancy title or a clever theme when you can have a ball spraffing around somewhat aimlessly for an hour?