Paul F Taylor and Nick Helm

Helm & Taylor at the Laughing Horse New Act Final 2009
Live Review

There’s nothing restrained about Helm and Taylor – a full-on act of shouty banter, myriad props, amazingly laboured puns and exaggerated reactions. Looking like extras from My Name Is Earl, this bombastic duo relentlessly assault the audience with every trick in the book to sell their frankly ropey wordplay. And despite – or perhaps because of – the groansomeness of their tatty material, the sheer force with which they push it becomes the gag in itself.

Like Tim Vine or the Raymond And Mr Timkins Revue, all resistance is swept aside by their overwhelming personalities.

Some punters will love them with a passion – the rest seem confused by the bad jokes at the core of this unusual, hyperactive act. And that’s probably not a bad position to be in so early in their careers.

Helm and Taylor are comedy for the pleasure of comedy. Some will try and over analyze them, but just to watch them is to love them.

Darren Maskell, May 2009