Demi Lardner @ Assembly George Square

Demi Lardner creates a surreal world of motley characters, visual gags and stupid jokes in a show that is utterly absurd yet performed with impressive clarity.

I Love Skeleton is a relentless stream of fast-paced sketches and oddities, enhanced by optical and sound effects, all weaved together in a totally unpredictable and very funny hour. Lardner confidently transitions between personas and sketches, moving around different parts of the stage – at some points literally climbing on top of the audience – with the lightning speed of the lizard that once escaped from her on the way home from the pet shop. This is one of the regular references to her background that breaks up the torrent of sketches, and it’s understandable that she needs a break.

Sustaining the same level of pace and energy for an hour would be impossible, but it does affect the show’s rhythm when she’s running around 'stealing' beards or pretending to be an adult lettuce – munching turtle one minute and slowly reading from her childhood diary the next. She also breaks the spell she’s created by repeatedly 'cracking up' when she’s out of character.

Whether this is down to simply not having the energy or material to fill a full hour, it doesn’t take away from the fact that when the show is good, it’s extremely good. It would be surprising not to see more of her bonkers sketches and personas on television soon.

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Demi Lardner: I Love Skeleton, Assembly George Square (Studio Four) 1-26 Aug (not 13), 8:05pm, £7.50-11

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