Review by Steve Bennett

There are moments in The Pajama Men’s show when you could well be witnessing two comedy geniuses at work.  At other times, you are just left wondering what on earth is going on in front of you.  This clash of two extremes creates a thoroughly enjoyable but completely puzzling show that probably deserves more praise than it is likely to attract.

In fact, the hour is so baffling that it’s hard to describe.  In the simplest terms, this is a sketch show that brings together a selection of equally idiosyncratic and ridiculous characters, each with a different relationships to reality.

 However, the show is more than this as it ignores any boundaries of conventional sketch form, unannouncedly diving from character to character to character and back again, creating a separate universe within which they eventually co-exist.

In a festival full to the brim of run-of-the-mill sketch shows, this attempt to break from the norm is only to be admired, but sometimes the duo seem to sacrifice laughter and even comprehension for bizarreness.

While some of the (mostly recurring) characters are adeptly constructed and expertly performed – my personal favourite being the two cowboys alternately gunfighting and falling into each other’s arms – others are completely confusing. 

Sometimes, it is difficult to even tell what is being performed, let alone what the joke is and where it belongs in the context of the show.  This could be something that demands a second viewing to be fully appreciated, as the best of the sketches are truly brilliant. It is therefore disappointing that some of the others simply just do not match up.

On the other hand, even if you cannot be sure what’s going on there is always plenty happening to be entertained by.  The performances of the two actors are genuinely outstanding.  Everything, from the way they move their bodies to the tiniest facial expressions, is perfectly planned and executed, making them to be real masters in their field of physical comedy.

This is the type of show worth taking a shot at, as you may well find the hidden brilliance inside it. But, on initial impressions, everything is far too bewildering to be funny.   

Review date: 1 Jan 2005
Reviewed by: Steve Bennett