Review by Steve Bennett

It starts from the very beginning, when in overly melodramatic ringmaster style, she heralds the ‘greatest spectacle on earth’ that is about to assail our senses, and later she returns as a wonderfully silly lion tamer. In truth, though, the girls don’t do much to follow through the circus idea, and instead present a straightforward sketch show.

Judging by most of the perfunctory nods to their theme, they made a wise choice. The graceless and inept hula-hoop act, and the trapeze mime really go nowhere, relying on the misguided assumption that moving or dancing clumsily is inherently hilarious – something almost every female sketch act from French and Saunders onwards seem to believe. Only the cavalcade of increasingly surreal freaks – all deliberately badly realised – that brings the show to a climax is a funny use of the original premise.

It’s typical of the show which only really succeeds when Bates and Emerson are being extravagant, playing over-the-top characters for broad laughs. More subtle, underplayed sketches tend to look weak in comparison.

A recurring scene of a dating agency suggesting suitable suitors for Henry VIII is an inventive idea, but becomes repetitive; a sketch about the ending to Harry Potter likewise runs out of steam; and a Apprentice skit is reasonably well done, especially the Alan Sugar impersonation, but again is reprised for no good reason, and with a vastly diminishing return.

In contrast, another good scene sees all three of the girls as Australian housewives, preparing a charity dinner. It could be straight out of the antipodean sitcom Kath & Kim, and has a well-disguised punchline to boot.

But despite the versatile performance talents on displayand occasional flashes of inspiration, there seems too much filler in the hour for Lizzie Bates and Anna Emerson to really make an impact.

Reviewed by: Steve Bennett

Review date: 1 Jan 2007
Reviewed by: Steve Bennett