Lazy Susan: Double Act

• Yasmin Sulaiman
• 13 August 2015

This article is from 2015.

Credit: Bobby Goulding

2014 Best Newcomer nominees return with more dark comedy

There's no doubting the talent of Celeste Dring and Freya Parker, aka Lazy Susan. Last year's Best Newcomer nominees are slick comedians; in this second Fringe hour – which glistens with promise but doesn't land as often as it should – they segue between sketches with lightning speed and an effortless confidence that beats many of their more established contemporaries.

It's a shame then that their material, while often great, isn't as polished as their performance. Double Act takes on a similar form to 2014's Extreme Humans; rather than an over-arching storyline linking each sketch, we have recurring characters that fit into an almost narrative-free hour. There are a few standouts: a sketch about dirty surgeons is darkly brilliant, and motivational speaker Jackie Sanchez (Parker doing a convincing Scottish accent) and her assistant T (Dring at her best and most ridiculous) is a highlight. But while there's some very clever, well-crafted stuff here, it doesn't quite gel and the end feels abrupt.

Like the red sequinned curtain that lines the back of the stage, Double Act glistens with delicious danger. And even though this might not be Lazy Susan's best overall show, it's certainly worth seeing these two super-smart and very funny comics in action.

Pleasance Dome, 556 6550, until 31 Aug (not 19), 8.10pm, £8–£10 (£7–£9).