Max and Ivan took a deep breath and plunged into their convoluted crime caper at such a frenetic pace it seemed they wouldn’t have time for another gulp until they came out the other side.
Not that this was a cram-it-all-in-see-what-sticks affair, this was comedy writing of the highest order.
They created a huge roster of diverse characters, with their physicality, acting ability and little more than a couple of ticky-tac props and an amazing laser show – well, a couple of lasers at least.
The timing involved in their full-on double act, on a very small stage, was impeccable, as they jumped from one scene and set of characters to the next and back again to keep the plot rattling along at a sometimes bewildering speed - making The Bourne effect seem slow. There was hardly time to enjoy one line before the next arrived.
It’s a style that won them much acclaim in their last outing as Holmes And Watson, and here it was put to equally good effect in a story about a criminal gang being reunited for one last job, to bring down Russian billionaire Dimity’s “charity casino”, Philanthropia. Particularly entertaining were the bickering husband and wife news-reading team, and the dance competition with audience participation.
There were a couple of very minor stumbles, not surprising on a first night of breakneck entertainment, but they had the wit to wing it and it will no doubt be a polished gem in time for Edinburgh.
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