Cyderdelic

Original Review:

Any comic act who can subvert Sky News by hoping, live on air, for the Queen Mum's imminent death deserves a certain amount of respect.

Cyderdelic have also staged an aborted attempt to storm the This Morning studio and have been mistaken for the genuine ecowarriors they parody by just about every major media organisation.

But while these stunts are always entertaining, they always seem more like childish mischief-making that anything more substantial. When Mark Thomas, say, embarks on similar exploits, there's always a strongly argued reason behind it. Here it's seems like just a prank.


Clips of these high jinks are the highlight of the otherwise lacklustre stage show, which fails to capitalise on the group's witty manifesto, with pledges such as destroying capitalism and replacing it with 'something nicer'.

The problem may be that although crusties are an obvious topical target, you can hardly fault their ethical principles, so it's hard to know just where to aim the satire.

Comedy songs, that most tricky of genres, punctuate the live show - and while these are undeniably catchy, they are noticeably light on gags, save for one magnificent pun based on Bob Marley's Jammin'.

Their brave after-show stunts, leading the audience into the streets of Edinburgh to protest, also seem to been tempered after a couple of run-ins with the city's constabulary, which is a shame for such things always enliven the Fringe.

Overall, there are some good ideas here, but they too often fail to blossom into genuine humour.

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