Review by Steve Bennett

It’s a bid to deflect the inevitable comparison, especially as they share a stack of common traits, such as their utter inability to do machismo. Indeed, their dim view of laddishness is outlined in their ‘love song for the Radio 5 Live generation’.

Both Horse (beaded, jolly) and Louis (a little cooler by comparisson) might be mild-mannered, but that’s not to say they don’t know how to par-tay! This show is based around celebratory games such as musical statues and pin the tale on the donkey (or Horse, as it happens) with barely a twist from the kids’ games. There’s even a party bucket of pound-shop goodies to be distributed as prizes.

Whether this is strictly comedy might be a moot point, but it’s joyful, and keeps afloat a show that might not quite stack up if left to the songs alone, given their hit-and-miss nature. In their favour, Horse & Louis do try to extract every possible joke from a set-up, whether it be a strained Pied Piper spoof or a raunchy love song to a juror that employs just about every legal/sex double entendre you can think of, and quite a few you probably can’t.

Like several other musical comedy acts, they celebrate the cheesiness of their gags and try to make that into a virtue, and with some success – although the law of diminishing returns certainly kicks in. And in cases like their song about spam emails, the dated feel is inescapable.

Yet their merry enthusiasm is hugely infectious, and there’s just enough wry wit to keep the party kicking. It might not be the hottest ticket in town, but an RSVP should ensure some undemanding fun.

Review date: 20 May 2013
Reviewed by: Steve Bennett
Reviewed at: Brighton Otherplace at Bar Broadway