Foil Arms and Hog: Skittish

The Irish internet sensations and Fringe regulars Foil Arms and Hog return to Edinburgh at the McEwan Hall to share their new show ‘Skittish’. The group’s name evolved from nicknames each of the members had for each other, Foil (Sean Finegan) being the comedy foil, Arms (Conor McKenna) was ‘all arms and legs’ and Hog (Sean Flanagan) because he ostensibly hogged the limelight. The show started with the crowd singing along with the trio’s internet show’s intro music, and judging by the audience reaction it’s clear to see some of their near one million YouTube followers were in attendance.

The show was made up with various sketches, songs, and audience participation bits. After chatting to two audience members they managed to include various details they had learned about them into the show. The sketches included a wide range of topics such as wild swimming, a milk man visiting a funeral, and the world’s first humane zoo, with the animals replaced by actors. There was a very meta French theatre joke with a fake Fringe show of a man sitting in the dark eating crisps.

Interspersed were the jaunty songs, including ‘A Very Irish Song’ which pokes fun at various nationalities hating other countries. It is fair to say this group’s type of comedy is very middle of the road and plays it quite safe. It is admirable to see a comedy show that does not rely on swearing or too much crude humour, however the show as a whole was quite hit and miss. The comedy style reminds you of the type of videos you would skim through while on Facebook that would probably be shared by the likes of LADbible. It is a testament that the comedy trio have continued to make a name for themselves with a very loyal fan-base which could be seen from the packed-out room of people of various ages, while continuing to rack up hundreds of thousands of views online.

They come across as the nicest and least inoffensive comedy group to see at the Fringe. This could be seen in how they would interact with the audience, only poking mild fun that would not harm anyone’s sensibilities. Their natural charm and quick-witted humour works best when they think on their feet and go off-script.