Firenado: The Sketch Show

Andy Higson & Stephen Matthew are lovely. They are also Firenado, a sketch duo from the north of England at the Fringe for the first time, but what comes across from the moment they step on the tiny Buffs Club stage is how instantly likeable they are. Higson is a ringer for a young Harry Shearer, and Matthew is a big, smiley presence to be reckoned with.

All of this helps as they perform sketches based around relatively well-used two person comedy set-ups, from quiz shows to job interviews, especially as the feeling grows that you’ve probably seen similar material written with more spark and with more edge than is on display here.

This is not to say this isn’t an enjoyable hour of comedy – some of the skits do stand out, in particular one featuring Higson as Nick Clegg and another which will appeal to Top Gun fans. There’s a very nicely balanced level of self-deprecation evident which never stumbles into nudge-nudge levels of pretension, and the two performers do well managing their big props in this small venue.

Firenado also features (apologetically) the largest number of synonyms for the male sexual organ you’ll hear this year.

Did I mention they're really nice guys?