Underbelly George Square| Aug 5-31 | 21:35 | £ 10.50/9.50

 

My hopes were set high when I sat myself down in ‘The Wee Coo’ at Underbelly, George Square. I heard good things about ‘Goodbear’ from other festival goers and had already seen one half of the duo (Joe Barnes) as part of Minor Delays. Thankfully I was not disappointed!

 

Goodbear has possibly one of the best cold opens for a sketch show I have seen so far (no spoilers). It instantly gets the audience engaged and in hysterics, the hilarity doesn’t stop there. Both Joe and Henry Perryment are capable performers able to switch from the exceedingly dramatic to the comedic with ease. The pair are able to break the crowd into giggles and guffaws with over the top facial expressions and reactions to each other’s lines that left me poorless.

 

Each of the sketches is witty and well written, some tending to be on the darkside with a high body count by the end of the show. Each scene is accompanied with a soundscape, helping to transport you from cars to churches to space and beyond. What is incredibly smart is that some of the sketches have no punchline, its the manner in which it is performed that the audience find funny. One sketch finds the pair ‘in bed’ vertically on stage in a scene which you would only find in the strangest of James Bond films.

 

I’ve seen a good selection of sketch comedy at this years festival and Goodbear are up there with the best. Joe and Henry are a great pairing who will charm and delight while leaving you chuckling with dark laughter well after the show has finished.

 

Goodbear are perfoming in The Wee Coo at Underbelly George Square from the 5th -31st of August, for information and tickets visit www.underbellyedinburgh.co.uk

 

Warning: You may also leave with a song stuck in your head….It won’t go away for days.