Gein's Family Giftshop @ Pleasance Courtyard
Northern sketch powerhouse Gein’s Family Giftshop make a mark with their Fringe return.
Gein's are by far one of the most original sketch acts in Edinburgh. Choosing to adopt restrictions on what they will and won’t do on stage, sketches are free of cliche, stereotype and dodgy accents. This makes for an altogether more exciting and funny show; the group's imaginative solutions often create chaotic anarchy, only offset by the sheer joy of the crowd's laughter.
During the course of the hour, cracks begin to show as we find out that Gein's have rejigged their show at the last minute, due to Jim Meehan’s unavailability. Replacing Meehan with a man named Adam, the group make good use of the new dynamic. Sketches demanding Adam's presence are met with disappointment and anger as the privately educated addition's scenery-chewing overacting does everything to rub state-schooled Kath Hughes and Ed Easton up the wrong way.
Though the show's formal structure is played with, the focus is firmly on the sketches. Each new skit takes the audience by surprise and is met with uproarious laughter. Adam is a welcome addition and his appearances, though sporadic, add a new layer to the show, a layer that's mined for all it’s worth.
Gein's Family Giftshop: Volume 3, Pleasance Courtyard (Above), until 28 Aug, 10.20pm, £6-10.50