A Betrayal of Penguins: Endangered for a Reason

Split roughly three ways between the settings of a wedding, an awards ceremony and a commentary box, Endangered for a Reason is an audibly popular hour from this distinctive, tuxedo-clad Irish sketch group.

Ushered in by a lush, orchestrated rendition of Survivor's 'Eye of the Tiger', the group exhibit vigour, chemistry and wildness as they kick-start proceedings with a scene that pits a 'Four Weddings and a Funeral' style pre-marriage hesitation against the dated camp of 'Are You Being Served?'. The pace doesn't let up as the action relays between settings, sometimes to the detriment of the sense of the show.

Although many of the sketches have an internal logic, many of them are not sufficiently foregrounded to make sense in a coherent whole. I find myself wondering exactly why the action has shifted from wedding to awards ceremony and back again, the fuzzy linkage making this a confusing hour. Despite the lack of defined context, the audience don't seem to mind at all, lapping up the madcap energy as it unfolds.