Humanzee - 23rd July 2011

What is there to do in Cardiff in July? No football, no rugby, Glamorgan are not worth watching, the castle is full of tourists and the shops full of schoolchildren. Well, thank gooodness for the Cardiff Comedy festival.

After a quietish start it is attracting bigger names, Ardal O'Hanlon. Richard Herring, Craig Campbell and others trying out their pre-Edinburgh material. However, it also gives you the chance to support some potential stars of the future with lesser known, more local acts. Enter Inky Quill productions.

This Cardiff based group was formed in 2009 with the intention of bringing comedy to a non-theatre-going audience. The success of last year's "Death & the Monster" allowed writer Rick Allden to produce a sequel "Humanzee" featuring the two main protagonists.

Again, the audience was warmed up nicely by Dan Mitchell, showing why he is currently fighting his way through ITV's " Show Me The Funny". Even if some of his material was used last year, it was still funny.

Soon we were back in the safe hands of eminent surgeon Tobias Flavian ( who Dr Who-like has re-generated into the body of Jon Holcroft) and his trusted side-kick Colin. Flavian's fall from grace resulted in their removal to the other side of the pond allowing the writer to transfer jokes at the expense of the Scots to our American cousins.

Macho feminist,vegan and animal lover Betsy convinces Flavian to pursue the American equivalent of the Loch Ness monster, Bigfoot. Along the journey they encounter the might of the American army and Flavian's long-lost brother Jebediah, as well as Bigfoot himself, when Dan Mitchell re-appears showing what a method actor he is by growing a hairy back for the part.

If this sounds a lot of plot don't be alarmed. As you would expect from a Rick Allden play there are laughs, big and small throughout the ninety-minute piece.

Whilst Jon Holcroft and Alan Humphries deftly create the best fictional double-act since (whisper it) Sherlock Holmes & Dr Watson, Laura Jeffs showed her versatility once more. In the previous play she perfectly played a mute fat woman and last month she beautifully played Juliet at the Gate Theatre with Bareknuckle Theatre.

But it was whenever George Goding and Chris Earnshaw entered that you could feel the audience relax as they knew big laughs were on the way. The former played the archetypal gun-toting Uncle Sam until he opened his mouth and produced a voice that made Allen Carr seem butch. Definitely a 'kiss first, ask questions later" kind of guy.

Last year Chris Earnshaw grabbed your attention with a huge beard and a broad Scottish accent. This year it was his eyebrows and evil laugh which dominated proceedings.

Not a huge amount of big set-pieces but I particularly enjoyed the unexpected brief musical moment, Flavian's regression into his childhood with Colin in a dress (& relishing it) & Jebediah in a bee costume.

It definitely stands alongside last year's play and it deservedly puts Inky Quills into the Cardiff Comedy festival spotlight. Plenty more to come from this group, catch them in small theatres while you can.