Review by Steve Bennett

The fully choreographed fight/dance scene between two competing groups of 'charity muggers' that opens Wit Tank instantly demonstrates the skill of the performers, and their wonderful ideas.

The group eschew traditional themes and instead delve into the depths of their imagination for new concepts. A sketch on assertiveness training has people being tutored in how to react to everyday situations with disproportionate violence, and it's pure genius to portrays Postman Pat as a hard-boiled film-noir detective. The cliches of noir are exploited wonderfully and the juxtaposition of the kids' plot with the genre's stylings has the audience creased with laughter.

Wit Tank are at its strongest when sticking to short and quick skits, with some of the longer ones, such as 'the most boring man in Britain competition' dragging on. A song about STDs and a Matrix parody are well done but tread the well-worn the team normally go out of its way to avoid. But these are in the minority.

The show is well balanced, stylistically, with a mix of short set-up and punchline sketches, and more surreal and experimental ones that prevent it falling into a repetitive and predictable rhythm, so keeping the audience surprised at every turn. And there's a wonderfully observed gag at the end that brings things full circle.

There are probably more original and fresh ideas in the first ten minutes of Wit Tank than many sketch shows fit into an entire hour, and while they don't all work, this is still well worth seeing.

Review date: 1 Aug 2006
Reviewed by: Steve Bennett