Casual Violence - A Kick in the Teeth ****

I think that in terms of dishing out stars, I'm at my most generous when reviewing sketch comedy. I like it a lot and people like Max and Ivan and Adam Riches have received great reviews from me after getting it spot on!

So I was very much looking forward to Casual Violence, a troupe who have a reputation for macabre, twisted yet hilarious comedy.

The group are comprised of five actors and a musician, who provides atmospheric music during the sketches and some great filler material in between them... Including a joyous love song to one lucky lady in the front row.

The only criticism I have of the show is that it's a little slow in starting. There are around 6-7 scenes which are each introduced then revisited a couple more times during the show. I would say that the first set of scenes spends a little bit too much time setting the story out and not providing laughs, meaning that you're more likely to just smile rather than laugh out loud.

But by the second set, the laughs are starting to get louder and the concluding scenes are a triumph.

The acting is slick, the writing is strong and it has the perfect amount of gore to make you cringe and giggle at the same time!

Although it's not exactly the same type of humour describing the show as the sketch comedy equivalent of "Shawn of the Dead" wouldn't be too far off the mark. It's a collection of unrelated sketches rather than a film, but the feeling simultaneous joy from gore and comedy are rarely experienced together and just as Shawn of the Dead managed it in film, so Casual Violence have managed to do it live on stage! A great achievement.

Thoughts of "The Poppy Man" in particular will send shivers down your spine whilst at the same time make you giggle for a long time after the show has finished.... Want to know what I'm talking about? Go see it! You will not be disappointed.

Show info here.