Comedy review: The Establishment: Eton Mess

Edinburgh Festival Fringe: Eton Mess is every bit as delicious as the name suggests.

Assembly George Square Theatre (Venue 8)

****

Chunks of silly walks sit alongside bouts of verbal ping-pong reminiscent of Marcus Brigstocke and Danny Robins and a cuddly toy on a conveyor belt gets a cheer just for being there. My only problem with this delightful buffoon of a show is that the hour only seemed to last ten minutes.

Godfrey and Cecil juggle the funny from slapstick to satire without dropping a single laugh. The vicissitudes of the money markets have never been so entertaining, new laughter was squeezed out of Brexit and the Boat Race ran somewhere between Playschool and Python. Even cricket became entertaining – although the streaker on the pitch might have shocked some audience members.

Just when you think this is all comedy jolliness and huge fun we get a dollop of darker stuff from a pro-hunting fox and a pro-slavery advocate from a non-specific colony. And speaking of the hunt, try not to miss The Establishment’s superb fusion of fox-killing and trad jazz.

Mention must be given to the technical department at the Omnitorium for their visual feast of a lighting display during our initiation into the Illuminati and their creation of The Apocalypse which forms part of the show’s Big Finish. Lovers of the giant cockroach are in for a special treat at this point. This is silliness as an art form and it is a fine thing.

Until 28 August. Today 5pm.