McEwan Hall is no small space. And at Tuesday evening’s performance of Foil Arms and Hog: Skittish, they managed to fill it.
As I approached the venue, looming over the Underbelly plaza temporarily set up for this Fringe, the queues had already begun to wrap around the building; my entrance was as far back as the archway to the Old Medical School.
It’s certainly an upgrade from these performers’ usual venue, who host much of their comedy on YouTube.
There was a sense of anticipation in the air, partly for the venue and partly for the comedy; how often do people get an opportunity to watch performances in such a beautiful location?
Unfortunately, upon entering, I was disappointed to see that much of McEwan Hall’s beautiful interior had been covered by black cloth, forcing the audience to enjoy and entirely focus on the show itself – something I found incredibly difficult.
As one of Fringe’s bigger performances, earning 5-star accolades from many a reviewer and prices toward the high end of the £10-£20 range, there is little to say other than I expected more.
Squished next to each other in a ‘please don’t leave any spare seats’ venue, it is clear that the 2for1 ticket button had certainly been abused (but for the quality of the show, I take no issue).
The sketches were hit or miss, the social commentary fell flat, and much of the performance was carried by their interactions with the audience.
There is no doubt that they’re talented comedians: the content of their production was funny, but the execution left a lot to be desired.
Their musical talent and tongue-in-cheek jests were hilarious and when combined produced high-quality, worthy-of-the-price entertainment. However, these occasions were few and far between.
To sum it into one word, Foil Arms and Hog: Skittish is underwhelming.
In comparison to other Fringe shows, performed in much smaller venues by people with much less experience at a much lower cost, this show fell short of my expectations.
Save your money and get your laughs elsewhere.
Foil Arms and Hog: Skittish is running until August 26th at Underbelly, Bristo Square – McEwan Hall.
Buy tickets here.
Image provided by Underbelly to The Student for press use.