Edinburgh Fringe comedy review

With the energy of several suns, Business Casual are a loud and brash sketch trio who fully commit to their material. But that’s not always quite the compliment it seems, as they can put intensity over wit and indulge ideas long after the joke’s been battered to death.

That’s most evident in their shouty parody of hyper-masculine US radio ads, increasing the absurdity of what’s coming soon to Madison Square Gardens in far too many gradual increments, as they fail to notice – or choose to ignore - the quickly diminishing returns. 

Likewise, a spoof 1980s action film leans harder and harder into its dodgy premise – while an absolutely baffling anti-comedy bit in which they strike odd poses while naming US Presidents and First Ladies, the weirdness is wilfully alienating.

The trio set out their stall by bursting onto the stage in a blast of fist-bumping power – which they immediate dissipate with a mimed sketch. But it’s not long before that energy is restored, courtesy of the sound effects and pumping soundtrack that will become a constant, underlining punchlines and adding to the sense of dynamism.

Their sharp performance skills nail their best ideas. Compelled to follow the dance moves called out in Cha-Cha Slide even when the track gets stuck in a loop is a powerfully daft piece of physical comedy. Hammer Monkey is a compelling oddity, even as he slips into pantomime pathos, and the man overthinking the ‘do you want a receipt?’ question is a funny take on anxiety. 

It’s less clear what to make of the ‘weed sommelier’, which sounds like a typical sketch-show confection, but is, in fact, a real job in states where cannabis has been legalised. There’s also a running gag about gleefully killing imaginary children, quickie mimes to offer a welcome change of pace, and a set piece that involves throwing things at the performers, which is becoming something of a Fringe staple.

What there isn’t, however, is much distinction between the personas of Cory Peter Lane, Hunter Saling, and Jeremy Elder – the defining characteristic they all share is just ‘shouty’. That means they lack warmth and the chemistry you get from the interaction of differing personalities that give similar high-energy acts such as Aunty Donna an edge.

It’s all a bit too try-hard, the absurdity forced out by volume which ends up feeling like empty noise. This may just be me – one woman at the back of the room was in gales of hysterics even at the set-ups, although her unbalancing energy only served to highlight how little this boisterousness landed with me by comparison.

• Business Casual: Feral is on at Gilded Balloon Patter Hoose at 8.20pm

Review date: 23 Aug 2022
Reviewed by: Steve Bennett
Reviewed at: Gilded Balloon Patter House