Comedy: Tommy and the Weeks - Powershow!

Published on Thursday 21 August 2008 20:48

TOMMY AND THE WEEKS – POWERSHOW! ***** PLEASANCE COURTYARD (VENUE 33)

THERE are few acts that create such an immediate and powerful comedy world for themselves that their entire audience is up for a prolonged and enthusiastic bout of singing before the show has passed the five-minute mark. Tommy and The Weeks do exactly that. This is one of the full-on funniest hours I can remember spending.

Ed Weeks and Tom Bell are a made-in-comedy-heaven double act who handle surreal comedy like Jerry Sadowitz handles cards. Bell is a young man of slightly droopy demeanour with a broken heart and a failsafe way of meeting sexy girls (not). Ed is a an actor with (as is pointed out in the show), a large face, a guitar with dial-up and a plan … a plan for Powershow.

The opening is surreal comedy at its best, although I am glad I don't have a friend like Weeks to sing me my e-mails. Then there is a narrative that starts on a rug at Glastonbury and ends with … well, that would be telling. There is dance, mime, biting social drama and the effective employment of an angry chef in moments when the boys feel that the show is dipping.

The show never dips though. From Tom's new job making decisions for celebrities, through a beautifully mimed eBay, the concept of date jockeying, collectible trees, the great debate "wind: friend or foe?" and the audacious yet somehow hilarious decision to take a "powernap" in the middle of the show, to the mighty "Powershow" itself – a concept so powerful it develops a mind of its own – this hour is pretty much as good as you'll get.

• Until 25 August. Today 5:45pm