Edinburgh Fringe comedy review

Peppy sketch group Behemoth have been given a slightly inappropriate late night timeslot at the Mash House, given that their vibe is often more Live & Kicking than Late’n’Live. 

With matching coloured boiler suits and a high-energy, jaunty air, they’re able to provide a palate cleanser from the sleaze and scaries going on nearby.

There’s a loose framing story to this collection of stories. Mo, Tim and Heidi (the group’s regular members) live in a mould-filled cupboard in the house of their landlord, Ann Lord, played by fourth ringer member Maddie, a former backstage operative who’s now acting in some of the sketches. 

In danger of eviction, the only way they can secure their accommodation is by recovering a special crystal in a knowingly farcical quest plotline. This quest affects the sketches not at all. The idea is presumably to provide some sort of anchor point, but it’s not needed, and the regular check-ins on the quest are the weakest part of the show.

Behemoth are at their best when sketches are sliding into one another. We’re at a town meeting, then someone in the back starts talking about corn mazes; by the time we turn away from him and back to the stage, the town hall has melted away and we’re now in the corn maze. A middle aged woman walks into the corn maze and suddenly the corn maze has disappeared and we’re watching her meet her future daughter-in-law. The show becomes more and more enjoyable as it goes along and you slip into its odd rhythms.

The dialogue could sometimes be a little tighter, and the performances more unusual, but there’s great stuff in the meat of the sketches. 

Each might start in a relatively conventional space, but the best ones go through a series of unexpected, logic-defying twists, like the seller of rat purses who becomes forcibly babyfied by his colleagues. A series of clever directing choices gives each idea its own visual pop, so it’s not all just existing in the mind’s eye as it does with some sketch groups. No spoilers on punchlines, so you’ll have to see the show to appreciate what I mean by that.

Behemoth are still finding their voice as performers, but the green shoots of something very cool are beginning to show.

• Chortle’s coverage of sketch and multi-character acts at the Edinburgh Fringe is supported by (but not influenced by) the Seven Dials Playhouse. Read more

Review date: 13 Aug 2025
Reviewed by: Tim Harding
Reviewed at: Just the Tonic at The Mash House