“I’ll warn you,” gravely intones Ciaran Chillingworth as ‘the Mayor’ around the midway point of ‘A Genuine Appreciation of Comedy’, “This is going to get strange”. That’s enough to make the audience assume a mental brace position. Things have been plenty odd already, for the Mayor and His Daughter is sketch comedy at its most esoteric and uncompromising, playful and belligerent in equal measure.

The soul of the village that the Mayor and His Daughter (Kit Finnie) call home is in peril. Demonic forces are amassing and the innocent, bucolic comfort of the Cafe Nero has been usurped by the appearance of a ‘LinkedIn’ shop; a devastating portent if ever there was one. But all is not lost! The pair have found a copy of Russell Howard’s Good New Series 2 in a ditch and have decided to fight for their home through a genuine appreciation of comedy.

The Mayor and His Daughter strip various genres of comedy back to the brickwork and rewire them through the warped sensibility of a psychedelic Hovis ad; steeped in Olde English folklore, rural nostalgia, and cult cinema (Penda’s Fen, Requiem for a Village – the really weird shit). They then throw in an Angostura dash of Electra complex for good measure.

The two performers make entertaining foils for the other. Chillingworth’s Mayor aims for gravitas and authority and often ends up undermined by both unforeseen events and his companion. With his robes and demeanour, Chillingworth is part Anton LaVey and part Captain Mainwaring; a quintessential British comedy figure as imagined by Dennis Wheatley. Finnie’s Daughter is puckish and capricious, a genuine agent of chaos who is just as likely to derail the Mayor’s plans as assist. She’s prone to tantrums, but can be easily bribed with wine – there’s a little Lolita-ish uncertainty at just how old she’s supposed to be – and Thai Sweet Chilli Sensations.

It takes more than a little adjustment to latch on to the duo’s unique wavelength (a divining rod or a rudimentary knowledge of ley lines may help), and not everyone makes it. They constantly play with the established structure of a sketch show, with some having several false starts, some nested within others, some are intentionally sabotaged. There’s also a milk bottle with the voice of Mr. Hankey the Christmas Poo for some reason. There is a willful disregard for the sensibilities of the audience and an utter commitment to their own vision that is both admirable and quite thrilling.

The phrase ‘Not for everyone’ is overused, but by Christ it applies in the case of ‘A Genuine Appreciation of Comedy’. One questions if the late afternoon slot at Assembly Roxy is the natural home for such shenanigans. Perhaps the late evening ‘Sam Campbell/ Frankie Monroe’ slot at Monkey Barrel 2 feels like a more snug fit. Still, there’s a lot of joy to be had witnessing a baffled chap in the front row pressganged into reading an anti-consumerist screed in a demonic voice. A truly original piece of work and, along with Ada and Bron’s excellent show, is early evidence that sketch comedy is in the rudest possible health at this year’s Fringe.

‘A Genuine Appreciation of Comedy‘ is at Assembly Roxy – Snug until Sun 24 Aug 2025 at 16:10