A Betrayal of Penguins review

A Betrayal of Penguins wear tuxedoes and have set decorations of penguins. We'll get that out of the way in the first instance in case you think that this is some kind of animal performance sketch show. In actual fact, this sketch troupe from Ireland offer one of the most anarchic experiences at this year's Fringe.

The real question is whether their barely comprehensible narrative stands up. In a show packed with wordplay, ad libs and madcap humour the Penguins' show seems to fall down when it comes to the construction of the sketches. It is often hard to tell if they have anything more to go on than just a basic outline of a sketch and the experience of previous performances.

The writing, unusually for a sketch show, seems weaker than the performance itself and near-constant presumably deliberately ad-libbed mistakes and asides end up being much funnier than the sketches themselves. It's not that the ideas behind the sketches aren't good but it seems that, more often than not, the punchlines of the sketches are so weak compared to the sheer lunacy of the build-up that they seem to leave the audience too dumbfounded to even find a groan.

Endangered For A Reason is a show performed by three guys with a real sense of fun and who are clearly exceptionally funny. The show itself is packed full of call-backs, impeccable one-liners and preposterous set-ups but the chaotic delivery and constant breakdowns really seem to let it down after a while. It almost feels as though the troupe are running on fumes at times and the show doesn't seem to hold together if taken for anything other than what it is.

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A Betrayal of Penguins: Endangered for a Reason listing