Review by Steve Bennett

Hennessy and Friends have some strong sketch ideas – and some duds, too – but boy, do they milk them, with scenes stretching out way beyond the reveal, usually to little further effect. Then a few skits down the line, the characters will appear again, to do the same joke, just for a little bit longer.

And it seems to be the weaker ones ideas that are given the most space. A boisterous boozer, all ‘legend!’ and ‘shagging!’ is given a nice twist by being played by a woman, and with such vigour – but bringing her back seems like time-filling. The armed robbers are another one-gag premise that withers the more it’s exposed to an audience.

A gentle ribbing of chi-chi retro shops and quirky coffee outlets isn't especially original, while the less said about reinterpreting the song Happy as Speccy the better. The final payoff for that is a sort of half-hearted joke designed to be offensive but delivered so apologetically it loses almost all impact.

There are positives. The dynamic between the trio is particularly effective. Alpha female Miranda Hennessy is joined by her real-life husband David Seymour and Steven Shapland, under constant suspicion of having an affair with the leading lady. Scenes as ‘themselves’ exploit this nicely, and when Shapland’s girlfriend is introduced to the group, it’s a nice comic conceit.

That’s not the only time they display an imaginative flair, with the woman stuck in a relationship with a very peculiar type of feeder proving especially ingenious. It’s one of several scenes in which Hennessy is required to stuff too much food or drink in her mouth for a sight gag; and she’s certainly game for it, alongside various other indignities in the quest for a laugh.

Such strong, personable performances, and the bags of energy they exude make the show eminently watchable; it’s just a pity that the writing strike rate isn’t higher.

Review date: 7 Aug 2014
Reviewed by: Steve Bennett
Reviewed at: PBH Free Fringe @ Bar Bados