Emma McAlpine heads down to Camden to check out the hotly-tipped sketch newcomers.
The tiny, 42-seat Etcetera Theatre, located above the Oxford Arms pub, seems like a rather queer place to be hosting a charity telethon to raise £100,000,000 to rid the world of all its illnesses, but hot new sketch group Delete the BanJaX are putting on a brave face. Made up of Gareth Cooper, Daniel Cook, Caroline Jones and Sam Champion, the troupe rattle through 45 minutes worth of their latest and greatest material with one concurrent theme running throughout of trying to raise money for charity. There is a sponsored walk sketch and (my favourite) a raffle where Dan reveals his contribution will be 'a month's supply of lime.' A feud soon breaks out between him and Caroline over his poor efforts ("What's that I can smell? Jealousy?") and he soon has the whole room in stitches with a lingering death stare as telethon host Gareth desperately tries to move the shambolic competition on.
There are a couple of weaker sketches at the beginning that could be dispensed with but on the whole the show is a whirlwind of witty ideas ranging from the surreal to the topical. Highlights are a teen drama sketch with a vapid female role played wonderfully by Caroline Jones, a horse race with cows and a fanatical religious duo called God's Fingers. What really impresses is how well the show is put together. Scenes move effortlessly from one to the next and there is never a moment where the stage is deserted.
Sketch groups always seem to have a member that stands out and tonight it is resident clown Daniel Cook. With a voice that sounds like it's going through puberty and a peculiar pigeon-toed walk, he plays the weirdo role with finesse and by the end he only has to come on stage with ruffled hair and a wild-eyed look to trigger fits of giggles from the audience. However, it is also to the rest of the group's credit that his parts are so funny, because by playing their roles straight, they enhance the comedy of the scene. Take for example Dan's role as the female cow (who'd have thought paper hooves could be so amusing?) or the mute religious fanatic in the God sketch. It is Sam Champion glibly protesting to the furious cow that he hasn't been having an affair that makes her screeching so hysterical and it is Caroline Jones' fast-talking preacher that draws attention to the deranged mute standing next to her (see above pic - far left).
Delete the BanJaX have only been performing together since 2008 but already their debut show has received a string of glowing reviews at the Edinburgh Fringe and they have since been busy filling slots at several of the best sketch nights in London. Balancing a flair for writing (there are some killer lines that pop up throughout the show) with dynamic physical comedy, there is some very impressive material here for such a new group.
You can catch Delete the BanJaX performing at the Wilmington Arms on Monday 18th May or see their Edinburgh preview at the Etcetera Theatre on July 16th.
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