Show Rating:

This ought not to work, but it really does. Taking the familiar sitcom premise of unlikely personalities being forced to share space, Howard and Mimi shows a journey from suspicion and hostility to accommodation and affection.

If I say it concerns a cat and a dog, I can almost hear the clatter for the exit, but it’s cute, funny, touching and well acted, and after all, the difference between cats and dogs earned its place on the comedy menu a long time ago.

This is an antidote to shouty, bitter comedy and all the ‘I watch porn, me’ humour that is commonplace at the Fringe. Howard & Mimi is just right for an early afternoon show, a sweet Radio 4 play made flesh.

Dan March strikes just the right note of dopey enthusiasm and wide-eyed eagerness. His is a dim character, but full of positive joie de vivre, generosity and tolerance. Natalie Haverstock slinks about with the delicacy and precision of a ballet dancer and the haughty, crisp comic delivery of a very young Penelope Keith. Her character, Mimi, is snobbish and defensive but she gradually allows a more vulnerable side to be revealed

This is gentle stuff to make you smile and with a few proper laugh out loud moments. There are perhaps eight scenes that move the story along quickly, but the acting is not hurried or frenetic. Heart warming and friendly, it’s a good start to the day.

Reviewed by: Julian Chambers