Sandy Surname is the first person to come looking for a job at the Grimswald job centre for months and the staff are desperate to impress and find him something to do. Despite an unfeasibly impressive CV Sandy is sent off to do an increasingly ridiculous series of jobs.
FaceOddity’s narrative sketch show takes this job search into the realm of the absurd in a wonderful series of sketches, with moments of inspired comic silliness. The search for a new town crier for Grimswald, a lovely choreographed rendition of ‘YMCA’ with only three of them and some running around, and an absolute highlight, a sketch set at sea featuring the phonetic alphabet which turns into an extended ridiculous riff of a love letter.
The four performers work together excellently with no unevenness of talent, they complement each other well, and even make great use of the difference in height between the four of them for comic effect.
This is only their second Edinburgh, but for such a fresh young troupe, the consistency of writing is remarkable, they are very tightly rehearsed and the sketches link smoothly. Most of all they are simply very funny. The quality of sketches can vary but those that don’t quite come off are rare, for example a mime scene added little.
FaceOddity are proving a hit late at night at Greenside Infirmary Street and deservedly so. Catch them while you can.
This Isn’t Working runs until Sat 19 Aug 2023 at Greenside @Infirmary Street at 23:05