Frisky and Mannish at the 2010 Hackney Empire new act final

Note: This review is from 2010

Review by Corry Shaw

The Hackney Empire new act final was opened by the ever-glamourous, ever-popular cabaret duo Frisky and Mannish, surprisingly well-established for such a new act competition. Unlike a great deal of their musical comedy peers, this duo focus on delivery, and seem to avoid any recognisable punchlines whatsoever.

They are an incredibly talented pair but the comedy element was lacking here. A medley of songs with questions in the titles, built around the melody of Independent Woman, may be creative and performed beautifully but it takes up a large section of their short set but lacked the payoff needed to justify its inclusion. Their version of the Ting Tings’ That’s Not My Name showed a glimmer more potential, allowing Frisky and Mannish to connect with the crowd. It’s brilliant cabaret but lacking the comedy punch that they would have needed to achieve a higher placing than the third they achieved.

Review date: 31 Jan 2010
Reviewed by: Corry Shaw
Reviewed at: Hackney Empire

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