Jollie: John and Ollie Stuck Together

Note: This review is from 2008

Review by Steve Bennett

John Biddle and Ollie Birch have a good comedy pedigree, having both led the Durham Revue. They are lacking in some discipline with their sketch writing but the potential is there for them to grow into a fine comedy duo.

There is a nice chemistry between the pair, despite the fact that John is now dating Ollie’s ex-girlfriend Amy and, we discover as the show progresses, there was an overlap between the two relationships. This is almost a theatre piece, examining the bond between the friends and their history. This is where they shine and where the potential magic bubbling beneath can be spotted.

Ollie is victim to John’s bullying, and jibes about their shared girlfriend. John has a superiority complex and seems to care little for his best friends feelings. These are obviously theatrical vehicles to produce a narrative, but you’re left with the impression that there’s some truth beneath the script, thanks to convincing acting and emotional observations. They possess a natural comedic talent with a good understanding of wordplay, timing and pace. They prove they have the ability and the courage to employ pathos to engage their audience in a dramatic and tear-jerkingly sad climax.

This impressive and humorous dialogue is interspersed with some overlong and flaccid sketches about Vikings and the secret service and a rather more promising offering based on cross-fertilisation of species.

The potential is there, they need some direction and a few more outings under their belt but if they stick together and focus on their realistic dialogues rather than the surreal sketches they will be a double act to look out for next Fringe.

Reviewed by: Corry Shaw

Review date: 1 Jan 2008
Reviewed by: Steve Bennett

Live comedy picks

We see you are using AdBlocker software. Chortle relies on advertisers to fund this website so it’s free for you, so we would ask that you disable it for this site. Our ads are non-intrusive and relevant. Help keep Chortle viable.