Edinburgh Fringe comedy review

Marina and Maddy Bye’s latest sketch show takes the form of an end-of-term school assembly hosted by the sisters – head girls, obviously. Over the next hour, we meet various staff and students at Siblage High with mixed results. 

A running joke is the promise of a performance from Year 7, but it’s derailed by drama teacher Mr Parker stealing the limelight by presenting his own play in the hope there’s a theatrical agent among the audience of parents. Easily the highlight of Siblage, this play-within-a-play is a spot-on send-up of every mawkish, overly-sentimental American drama you’ve ever seen. There are some lovely details and cultural references, and neat characterisation, and the sisters get the dialogue and tone just right.

Other sketches are less successful, including teenage techies checking the mics, two lads returning from an exchange scheme with IBM and a sex education class from two teachers. However, a lesson on peer pressure around drugs, alcohol and sex fares better.

Siblage is not a subtle show. Mr Parker locks up Miss Piss in the stationery cupboard. There are broad accents, over-the-top costumes and plenty of hammy acting. The Siblings’ considerable talent for clowning, physical comedy and visual gags all get the desired response from an enthusiastic audience, and they also play an excellent joke on someone in the front row.

The Siblings throw themselves into every sketch with absolute commitment, work hard, and keep their occasional corpsing just about the right side of self-indulgence. Siblage is a funny, silly, well-performed show but in need of greater quality control in its writing.

• Siblings: Siblage is on at the Pleasance Courtyard at 8.30pm

Review date: 23 Aug 2022
Reviewed by: Matt Carwardine-Palmer
Reviewed at: Pleasance Courtyard