Comedy review: Scottish Falsetto Sock Puppets Do Shakespeare

To be or not to be... a sock. The Scottish Falsetto Sock Puppet Theatre has been a fixture at the Fringe for years and the joke's not worn out yet.

Star rating: ***

Venue: Gilded Balloon Teviot (Venue 14)

The 2016 show pins the usual puns and props to the works of the Bard. Not the Scottish one, but the chap from Avon who didn’t write any good jokes.

Well, so say the two singing socks, one kilted, one in a tux, both ready to don a ruff at a moment’s notice in order to make up for Shakespeare’s lack of laughs. They give us their versions of Hamlet, Titus Andronicus, Othello and Romeo and Juliet. Whether they’re laugh-out-loud or groanworthy, the gags are studiously silly, perfect for this late night show.

There’s some great audience interaction and trademark takes on the likes of Pulp and Abba… the constantly bickering socks even brush off Brush Up Your Shakespeare from Kiss Me Kate.

It’s a common claim that were William Shakespeare around today he’d be writing EastEnders. He’d not – he’d be at the Gilded Balloon, laughing at this wee gem of a show.

Until 29 August. Today 10:30pm.

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