Review: CRYBABIES: THE SCARING at Soho Theatre

I can probably sum-up my reaction to it, as: “What an absolute load of hokum — I loved every minute”. And from the expressions dotted around the Soho Theatre on press night (including those on the faces of Steve Pemberton, Reece Shearsmith and Nick Mohammed) it seemed everyone else did too.

Running at a punchy one hour straight through, the cast of three who perform their own madcap ghoulish creation, are Michael Clarke, James Gault and Ed Jones. The trio don wigs, masks, ridiculous costumes, voices and varying states of disequilibrium as they invite us to while away the evening at the Wyle Away Hotel complete with its basement labyrinthine sauna and handy built-in graveyard. The zany goings-on are akin to a footlights revue performed by The Young Ones, meets The League of Gentlemen (did I mention Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith were sitting close-by?!?) and don’t let-up for a single moment.

Thankfully, despite the ludicrous nature of the comedy, it is so slickly delivered by the intimately intertwined and familiar cast, and directed with such pace by Jon Brittain, that the silliness and tongue-in-cheek references just keep landing. It’s difficult not to like and appreciate slapstick, when it is pitched this slickly and with such an innate gift for comedy, timing and frequently funny jump moments.

Costume and set designer Cecilia Carey undoubtedly had to work her socks-off to deliver this show, and the lighting, sound, video and illusions team of Bethany Gupwell, Ed Lewis, Nina Dunn and John Bulleid have ensured that everything looks and sounds appropriately am dram and delivered ‘on a budget’ which adds immeasurably to the winning charm and utter daftness.

In these days of Reform, MAGA, El Niño catastrophe and imminent overrun by the AI bots, we all deserve a rollicking night of laughs and idiocy. So get yourself along to Soho Theatre while you still can. The show plays exactly 60 minutes and continues its London run until 23rd September. Seriously, if it’s good enough for me, (and Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith) then what are you waiting for?