Review by Steve Bennett

The best sketch shows always have their own distinctive style, a certain ethos that pervades all they do. Greedy, on the other hand, is a haphazard selection of things someone once, presumably, thought was funny. They have a tough time convincing the audience to share that view.

Most of the ideas actually seem to have come from the head of an attention-defecit four-year-old. They like running around like dinosaurs, dancing extravagantly to music and leaping around overexcitedly. Not to any great effect, they just seem to like doing it. One sketch sees a man miming the kettle drum bits to a the Black Beauty theme tune – and that’s it, just that.

What few gags they do are in a very minor league. ‘Has anyone seen the Invisible Man?’ or naming a Tutankhamen-style mummy Cockbumandtittie. You’d be hard pressed to find a decent comic idea between the four of them.

There’s some performance ability on display, and a fair bit of energy, but it feels very drama-schooly. And not even a drama school production, more like the warm-up exercises that would normally, and sensibly, be kept behind closed doors.

The whole thinks reeks of amateurishness, and demonstrates a complete lack of thought. For instance, TV themes introduce sketches they’ve nothing to do with – why does the Taxi tune herald the arrival of a hobbit? And it’s not a Danny De Vito reference. Similarly, a sketch about love at first sight is played out over a stirring song – about a stale love that has witherered.

Poor incidental music is no reason alone to dislike a show, but it’s a symptom of the laziness endemic in Greedy. And the fact it’s noteworthy proves how little of the on-stage malarkey was holding the attention.

Review date: 1 Jan 2010
Reviewed by: Steve Bennett