Edinburgh Fringe comedy review

You have to pity broadcasters who say they aren’t interested in sketch comedy when Tarot are exploding minds with their exhilarating live shows. The latest, Shuffle, might even be their best yet – and that’s saying something.

Kath Hughes, Ed Easton and Adam Drake, dressed in long white nighties, give the audience the chance (kind of) to choose which sketches they’ll be performing each night; they say they have two hours’ worth to dip into. 

The options are named after Tarot cards, such as Judgement, Justice, Strength and The Priestess, but, really, what’s that going to tell us about the content of the sketches? It’s a thrilling blend of constructed chaos and meticulous planning.

And the way we select them is as inventive and wildly executed as it is random. It’s high energy from start to finish, with squeal-inducing surprises everywhere you look, and twists crammed into every imaginable space. Just when you think they’ve completed one excellent sketch, they top it with another jolt of weird delight before yanking us to the next.

On this particular night, a scenario resembling apple bobbing takes a shockingly funny turn, and if you think you’ve seen all the takes on Virgin Trains’ talking toilets you’re in for a bum-clenching treat.

Tarot have everything required for perfect sketch group: they’re evidently all on the same wavelength, they are all strong actors (Hughes as a character who’s drunk on morning television is a joy to behold), they show true charm when breaking character, and - with the help of off-stage collaborators Kiri Pritchard-McLean and Ben Rouse – they interrogate their subjects with a unique level of intelligence and an intriguing splodge of madness. 

This is an exceptional show that’ll leave you wailing for more.

Review date: 9 Aug 2024
Reviewed by: Ashley Davies
Reviewed at: Pleasance Courtyard