Setting a sketch show against the backdrop of impending nuclear disaster might seem counter-intuitive, especially at the moment. But it appears the four young men who make up Northern Ireland’s Past the Label sketch troupe love a challenge. Despite the odds they’ve succeeding in making a show that’s consistently funny and taps into a weird, almost cosy, nostalgia for a very Cold War kind of nuclear angst.

First up though is an inspired pastiche of blandly inoffensive late-night chat show and haunted house horror, which sees Jay (specialises in authority figures) and Paddy (accent maestro) as hosts who send reporter Rhys (diminutive, comes across like Tommo from  Brassic without the perviness) to doorstep a fan of the show and get more than they bargained for.

As an opening sketch it’s a highlight, with the onstage hosts interacting nearly seamlessly with the onscreen, pre-recorded Rhys. Fans of Ghost Watch, Late Night With the Devil, and Deadstream will love it. Rhys’ fantastically understated, ‘It looks like he’s religious’, while gazing at a bloody pentagram is worth a ticket itself.

From there they make splendid use of a hilariously manipulated version of the classic ‘Protect and Survive‘ public information campaign of the ’70s to keep things moving during costume changes, and throw in sketches featuring bouncers, escape rooms, and a mafiosi crime syndicate. It has to be said that several of these really don’t fit into the overall theme of the show, clearly intended a showcase of their best material, but you can hardly grudge them that.

As writers and performers the gang (including Danny, who tends to play supporting roles in sketches, but keeps things ticking behind the curtain) clearly know each other’s strengths and have evidently put heart and soul into ‘Scenes of Unfathomable Horror’. It isn’t the slickest show – there were some first night tech problems that saw the show begin slightly late, the odd fumbled line, etc – but the talent, ambition, and dedication is obvious (that they produce an hour of new material each month is testament to an almost grimly Calvinist work ethic).

They wrap the show up very much on theme, with one of their finest sketches, going as bleak as they dare (Paddy is exceptional here) until an unexpected moment of incongruous sweetness that’s one of the best payoffs to a sketch you’ll see this year.

The lads are unfortunately only on a short run – it looks like they’ve pooled all their resources for a full-throttle week – so do yourself a favour and get in while you can. This is exactly the kind of DIY, resourceful show that should be supported before they’re finally priced out.

‘Scenes of Unfathomable Horror‘ is at Just the Tonic at the Caves – Just Up the Stairs until Mon 11 Aug 2025 at 22:25