Dregs
The dynamic of new sketch duo Dregs will be familiar to students of funny. Mark Smith (no E, but fond of delivering Fonzy-style “Ehs!”) is the relaxed one, while Max Dickins is a control freak. But this is no Tom Basden–Tim Key slice of leftfield.
Dregs is unashamedly easy on the eye and ear: both performers look like CBBC presenters and get in there early with a daft dinosaur sketch capitalising on the fact. And the boys really can act, even if their writing doesn’t always match up. Too often the jokes are neither silly nor surreal enough to pack real punch, fizzy like alcopop but quick to go flat. If you’re going to include a comedy cliche – the training seminar – do something new with it.
That said, Smith and Dickins have genuine chemistry as a comedy duo, and it spills out to a midweek audience clearly enjoying themselves, even those dragged onto stage for some high-energy, low-threat interaction. In fact, a little more threatening and this show would be a lot more memorable. If the Fringe is proving anything this year, it’s that punters are more comfortable with feeling uncomfortable.
– Nancy Groves
