Review by Steve Bennett

The worst thing that could happen to female Circus Of The Future duo Frog Stone and Lydia Aers would be to land an immediate TV show.

Their sketches and characterisations are not yet sharp enough and the writing is fluent but can be inconsequential, such as their Eastern bloc pop duo Lebianski.

There are some decent lines: ‘In cities, you call it incest; in Norfolk, we call it quality time. In our family, we call bedtime stories foreplay.’  But their real potential is shown in a sketch involving the break-up of the relationship between a pair of slapstick clowns.

One finds on the other's collar not a strand of the new lover's hair but the remnants of another person's custard pie. The wayward clown has had her eyes opened to new worlds by a Comedia dell’Arte  performer whom she meets for afternoons of illicit mime.

The swear words in this sketch are self-censored with the use of a Harpo Marx-style honking horn. It is their one fully-realised sketch, and shows immense potential.

The show’s format is that of two Circus Of The Future performers have come back to visit 2005 in a time machine, knowing what all our futures are. Their farewell line to the audience: "That was the most  fun some of you will ever have.’

My advice to TV executives: let them do one more Fringe, but keep an eye on them.

My advice to the talented duo: you are almost there, something that few performers are. But think of adding in pathos to gain more depth; it was almost there in the clown sketch.

And don't grab for the glittering prize too soon. Next year. Next year.

Review date: 1 Jan 2005
Reviewed by: Steve Bennett