Alicia Adejobi reviews the sketch trio's Edinburgh preview.
Sitting in the Canal Cafe Theatre, I'm not quite sure what to expect from Phil Whelans, Richard Glover and Sean Garratt, as the Pros from Dover are a sketch act I know little about. Nonetheless, the mood in the room has a pleasant buzz and everyone seems excited to see the Pros showcase their new Edinburgh show. As soon as the sketch comedians bounce on stage, they impress the audience straight away. “Thank you for not bringing the others. I don't think there's enough seats for them anyway”, says Whelans as he has a quick scan of the half full room. It seems that the people who have managed to attend are loyal fans, roaring their heads off at any joke the act roles out. The mood suggests it could be an enjoyable show.
As Whelans introduces the group and explains how the show will pan out, a screeching voice bursts from the sound speakers and he morphs into some sort of malfunctioning robot. This doesn't quite work and the audience seem only somewhat amused.
A funnier skit sees Garratt and Whelans as two chavvy, somewhat burly men watching the football. Dressed in brightly coloured tracksuits and drinking beers, the friends begin shouting at TV. “Get in there!”, “How could you miss that space?” and “Sweep it towards the goal!”. So far, so normal. But then, in a bizarre twist, Garratt bellows at the top of his voice, “You've got the Maxfactor”. The audience laugh, but are confused. It's not until Garratt mentions mascara that we click; it’s an analogy between watching football and watching the X Factor for the make-up world. Glover then walks in and Whelans is hilarious as he attempts to pretend he is only watching the contest because Garratt is. Comically rounding up the sketch, when asked if he wants to go out, Garratt sheepishly says, “No I think I'm going to watch the highlights”.
The Who Wants to be a Millionaire sketch is a further highlight, if a slightly tried and tested subject. With Whelans playing Chris Tarrant, he asks Glover a question which he correctly answers, winning £100, but he decides to stop playing the game there and then so as not to lose the money.
Not all sketches are as impressive. When two members of the trio travel back in time to the 1800s, it is quite cringe-inducing watching Whelans and Garratt act out a Frankenstein type role which doesn't come off. Another weak sketch sees the trio as eastern-European cleaners who it turns out are killing people by throwing bed sheets over their heads. Overall however, it is an enjoyable hour and the trio have an energetic dynamic, it's just unfortunate that a couple of sketches failed to hit the mark and brought down the laugh levels; which on the whole was quite good. With a little bit of fine-tuning and tightening up of weaker sketches, the Pros should have a decent show on their hands.
See more Edinburgh previews
See more London sketches
Return to the London Comedy homepage
Add an event
Frieze Art Fair to launch new section for young galleries in 2012
Frieze have today announced details for the 2012 edition, their tenth art fair in London. Taking place...