Comic Strip

Thursday 09 March - By Yasmine Bridge for PublishED

Last week, Bedlam Theatre presented us with their sketch show, ‘Comic Strip’. Written and directed by Gabriel Spreckelsen (who also played several roles), the show provided us with an assortment of comedic sketches. All with distinctive storylines, the sketches engendered a fair share of laughs, often with political undertones. Between the gags, the show certainly left the audiences with some food for thought, on the state of the technologically driven, politically corrupt society we find ourselves in.

The set was simple, and the props and costume allowed for the fast-paced multi-rolling and scene changes. The cheery, advertisement style music which divided each scene was again, simple but effective for the tone of the show.

The opening sketch, a recurring motif throughout, took place between a church goer and a Priest. The varied responses to “I’ve turned my back on God, Father” certainly said something for the process of losing one’s faith, concluding with the Priest shrugging and agreeing with the church goer, despite resistance throughout.

A particularly comedic moment saw a woman, simply trying to unwind after a day of work, being gaslit by her smart speaker; an exaggerated, but none the less relatable insight into the looming chokehold technology has over us. When you switch off Alexa, your ‘talking lamp’ pipes up instead…it’s always listening!

Some characters were certainly more memorable than others. The standout was the actor who played arguably the most varied assortment of roles, from the old lady in the teashop, to Steve Jobs, to the creepy doctor. This actor never let their scenes drop. Another highlight came from the support group leader, who turned out to be a figment of Dave the builder’s guilty conscience, indeed the dead deer he accidently ran over; a role delivered in an understated manner, which provided a simple but humorous twist.

A particularly striking moment took place in the doctor’s surgery. It showed a female patient, concerned that she may have endometriosis, being completely ignored. Dismissed as a sufferer of “woman’s problems”, the scene placed this frustrating reality under the spotlight, and would almost certainly have resonated with much of the audience.

Overall, the play would have benefitted from some shorter scenes at times, to ensure each sketch was as quick witted as the last. ‘Comic Strip’ ended with a rather varied recital of love poetry from each character, which didn’t seem particularly relevant, but perhaps added to the comedic chaos the play was striving for. Whilst the humour was often predictable, ‘Comic Strip’ certainly did what it said on the tin. Spreckelsen demonstrated sophisticated written skill, and the audience undoubtedly came away entertained.