At the Melbourne Comedy Festival

2012 gala

More Idiots of Ants videos

Sketch group comprising Elliott Tiney, Benjamin Wilson, James Wrighton and Andrew Spiers, they take their name from a corruption of 'idiot savant'.

Two-time winners of best sketch or character act at the Chortle awards: in 2010 and 2012.

Idiots Of Ants: Model Citizens
Live Review

A couple of years after being nominated for the Edinburgh Comedy Award, Idiots Of Ants are showing no signs of resting on their laurels. Model Citizens is another big, bold, funny hour that cements their reputation as one of the Fringe’s must-see sketch shows.

The show starts in the Idiots’ sitcom-like flat, fitted with remnant props from bygone sketches. Such elaborate scenery turns out to be the setting one of their inspired, metaphysical in-jokes when the flatmates suddenly realise they’ve an audience to entertain. And, my, how we are entertained.

The Idiots are now at that that stage where they are so confident in their writing – and rightly so – that they can perform loosely, letting their own personalities shine through. They corpse, screw up, and deliberately try to undermine each other, which makes for a riotously fun atmosphere, which spreads throughout the audience. That said, they never let the wheels come off completely, and no sketch is submerged beneath the horseplay. Slick but loose is the order of the day.

How good are they? Let’s just say they make juggling, mime and even just the act of spraying air freshener amusing. And when Elliott Tiney fumbles the first, the reaction is not the usual sarcastic ‘way-hay!’, but apparently genuine upset, so much do the audience buy into their comedy.

There are solid, witty ideas at the core of all their scenes, clever ‘what if…’ scenarios that approach the familiar from a new direction; the sort of twisted observation the best stand-ups might employ, but expressed in sketch format, then acted out with unwavering conviction and a willingness to suffer for their art. Slapstick sensibilities run through a lot of it, but there’s a reason for every physical humiliation.

The hour zips by in a whirl of strange ideas, which I could list but that would spoilt the selection-box surprise – but rest assured there’s hilarity all the way, until the audience are up on their feet helping with the joyous send-off. It’s simply sketch comedy how it should be done.

Beautiful,clever,thought out sketch comedy at its best. Such wonderful guys, gave me free tickets once because they are heavenly wonderful people. Massive love to the Idiots, I wish them good things

julie, October 2010

Absolutley bBrilliant sketch comedy. Surely they will have their own TV show soon?! Go see them!

Ray, July 2010

They kept us in stitches for the entire gig... absolutely brilliant and very clever

paul arnison, June 2010

If you're after swearing, filth and general shock comedy go elsewhere. If you want to be entertained, laugh and feel you have been to something that is very special and different to standup, come along!

Paul, April 2010

One of the best shows in Edinburgh, you got to go see them

Ross Stark (Edinburgh Judge 2009), April 2010

The only impressive thing about them are the intro graphics they use on their sketches. Other than that, really quite awful.

Christian, April 2010

Decidedly average...

Patrick, February 2010