Abandoman - Party in the Key of C Major

• Kirstyn Smith
• 22 August 2012

This article is from 2012.

Sharp hip hop comedy improv from highly acclaimed duo

Hip hop meets jokes meets improv in a mad mash-up from Abandoman, who are wildly popular right now having supported the diverse likes of Tommy Tiernan and Ed Sheeran, as well as selling out previous Fringe runs. So perhaps hopes are unfairly high for the duo, after all creating on-the-spot lyrical masterpieces can’t be easy.

In the beginning vocalist Rob doesn’t do much to assuage this suspicion, words tumbling haphazardly forth, leaving us unsure he’ll hit a rhyme -- any rhyme, it doesn’t even have to be good -- until the last minute. But as we warm to his easy charm, the crowd-led musical story gains momentum and it’s not long before he’s spitting genius couplets, dragging members of the audience onstage to bounce off their bizarre suggestions which are masterfully fashioned into rave numbers, love songs or old-school rap. The intensity of the on-the-fly ambience adds a thrilling spark to what could be just another improv show and it’s difficult not to be impressed by his razor sharp wit.

Pleasance Dome, 556 6550, until 27 Aug (not 26), 9.45pm, £13--14 (£11.50--£13).