Review by Steve Bennett

There’s nothing new in what Hannah Croft and Fiona Pearce have brought to the Fringe. They are solid performers showcasing their talents in a series of gentle, smile-worthy sketches that are mildly amusing at the time, but soon forgotten.

Do It Like A Lady is a show with not much personality – there’s nothing here that you could say was a uniquely Croft & Pearce sketch, that couldn’t be done by the dozen or so similar shows that come to Edinburgh every year.

Characters tend to be vaguely middle-class, and there are two sketches about the world of acting - Fringe productions and advert castings – which suggests they haven’t looked too far from home for inspiration.

Their first sketch pretty much sets the tone: two teenage Olympians who have to tear themselves away from Twitter to take part in the big race. A very obvious idea that holds no surprises.

Generally sketches don’t have punchlines, and just peter out until ended by a technical cue, and even the mildly amusing lines on route tend to be predictable, always reinforcing the scenario, never moving it on.

There are a couple of nice touches: the petty bourgeois women, defined by Waitrose shopping and organising others, are nicely realised, even if a familiar archetype; while the sexual yearning between two primary teachers is nicely done – if not as good as the Fast Show’s Ralph and Ted.

And even if they are not great writers, the pair are handy sketch performers, making this feel like a showreel of their acting abilities. Look how the characters have a range of regional accents!  But that’s about all it adds up to.

Review date: 22 Aug 2012
Reviewed by: Steve Bennett
Reviewed at: Gilded Balloon Teviot