Show Details
Idiots Of Ants: Model Citizens
Show type: Edinburgh Fringe 2011
Starring Comic:
Idiots of Ants

Idiots Of Ants: Model Citizens


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Description

The Ants (2010 Chortle Award Winners and 2009 Edinburgh Comedy Award Nominees) return to Edinburgh after four years of sell-out shows and rapturous reviews. in the last 12 months they’ve gigged all over the UK and recorded their own radio programme (Totally Gizmo) for BBC Radio 7.

This year’s show answer’s all the big questions... What’s small, pink and should never be juggled? If an air guitar falls over in a forest does it make a sound? And why is the Old West’s fiercest cowboy Hearing Voices in his head? it’s the only sketch show on the fringe performed entirely at gunpoint! Book now!

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Reviews

Idiots Of Ants: Model Citizens
Live Review

 Idiots Of Ants: Model Citizens rated 4/5

A couple of years after being nominated for the Edinburgh Comedy Award, Idiots Of Ants are showing no signs of resting on their laurels. Model Citizens is another big, bold, funny hour that cements their reputation as one of the Fringe’s must-see sketch shows.

The show starts in the Idiots’ sitcom-like flat, fitted with remnant props from bygone sketches. Such elaborate scenery turns out to be the setting one of their inspired, metaphysical in-jokes when the flatmates suddenly realise they’ve an audience to entertain. And, my, how we are entertained.

The Idiots are now at that that stage where they are so confident in their writing – and rightly so – that they can perform loosely, letting their own personalities shine through. They corpse, screw up, and deliberately try to undermine each other, which makes for a riotously fun atmosphere, which spreads throughout the audience. That said, they never let the wheels come off completely, and no sketch is submerged beneath the horseplay. Slick but loose is the order of the day.

How good are they? Let’s just say they make juggling, mime and even just the act of spraying air freshener amusing. And when Elliott Tiney fumbles the first, the reaction is not the usual sarcastic ‘way-hay!’, but apparently genuine upset, so much do the audience buy into their comedy.

There are solid, witty ideas at the core of all their scenes, clever ‘what if…’ scenarios that approach the familiar from a new direction; the sort of twisted observation the best stand-ups might employ, but expressed in sketch format, then acted out with unwavering conviction and a willingness to suffer for their art. Slapstick sensibilities run through a lot of it, but there’s a reason for every physical humiliation.

The hour zips by in a whirl of strange ideas, which I could list but that would spoilt the selection-box surprise – but rest assured there’s hilarity all the way, until the audience are up on their feet helping with the joyous send-off. It’s simply sketch comedy how it should be done.
Date of live review: Monday 8th Aug, '11
Review by Steve Bennett
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Comments

I'd never seen Idiots of Ants until this year's fringe and now I feel like I've missed out the past few years! I checked our their youtube stuff when I got back from Edinburgh and it was so funny, I was crying with laughter!! Does anyone know if they are on TV ever? I saw a few clips from BBC 3 and E4 I think. Do they have a show? Will be going to see them in London when they're back for sure. I didn't even realise I liked sketch comedy, I am a total convert!

David Zahedy, August 2011

Best best best best best show ever! Bloody brilliant Ant men.

Susannah, August 2011

Wow. I came on here for the first time to write some comments because I was so impressed with their latest show that I had to let people know and I cant believe the comments I have read. I couldn't disagree more with them! I have been to see Idiots of Ants every year at the Edinburgh Fringe and have never been disappointed. They are fun, outrageous and just plain silly which is a joy to watch. I actually thought Model Citizens was their best show yet and did not stop laughing the whole way through. You only have to look at their consistent reviews and other shows to know they are the real deal and surely worthy of something on TV soon! I had a group of friends with me when I saw them last week, none of whom had seen them before and they all thought it was the best show they had seen at the Fringe. 5 stars to Idiots of Ants from me. I cant wait for the next installment!

Patrick Garrant, August 2011

This show is a complete travesty. Anyone who cares about comedy should avoid it like the plague. These guys make Hale and Pace look good. Their overgrown schoolboy schtick is outdated, smug and just plain unfunny. I only booked to see this show because I thought it would appeal to my teenage kids but even they were embarrassed by how lame it was. I could even have forgiven the gratuitous effing and jeffing (this was originally billed as a "suitable for all" family show ) - if it had been remotely funny. But it wasn't. Because these guys wouldn't know a funny sketch if it jumped up and bit them on their self-satisfied arses. A truly awful experience. Don't let it ruin your Edinburgh festival like it did mine.

Giles Draper, August 2011

This review is an insult to all other Fringe Shows and devalues any other review on this site. This show was just cringe worthy. Your review mentions that "They corpse, screw up, and deliberately try to undermine each other, which makes for a riotously fun atmosphere". However, they definately haven't earnt the right to corpse in the first few sentences. Having not seen them before, they have no respect built up with me for me to look at them other than a bunch of buffoons. I'll take into account that audience members were still coming in 15 minutes into the show but the reaction from the Idiots was massively unprofessional and not funny. Just get on with it. Also, it was only 45 minutes long! Including the interuption from the latecomers. The 'swingers' sketch with the hand puppets was just awful. The set featuring little Idiots nick-nack was a nice look but as under-used as premise of having the audience in their lounge. The cheap trick of getting the audience on their feet and clapping at the terrible finale of the show did not work for me. I gave them a definite 'sitting' ovation.

Steve Jobs, August 2011

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