It’s not often you see a sketch group gel with so much wit, absurdity and astute observation on the mundanities in life as Idiots of Ants.
The foursome (Elliott Tiney, Benjamin Wilson, James Wrighton and Andrew Spiers) formed back in 2006 and built a sterling reputation on the Edinburgh Fringe, having been nominated for the Edinburgh Comedy Award several years ago, the team have gone from strength to strength.
Latest show Model Citizens begins in the Idiots’ make-believe flat in which ‘the audience’ is a permanent fixture, and is frequently addressed throughout.
The boys present a showcase of sketches for the benefit of their new roommate Andy in order to show him how to move the audience from polite titters to big belly laughs. Thus is the joyfully ridiculous state of play for the next hour as we are wooed over dinner (and soaked by the waiter!), we witness a hilarious take on a live action game of ‘Hangman’ and a wife-swapping party during which the four piece corpse constantly as they get rather too hands on with each other to uproarious effect.
Despite the occasional moment of apparent loss of control, it takes an intelligent group of confident comics to inspire a willingness in their audience to go along with any idea put before them – culminating with the crowd up on their feet joining in a rousing communal encore.
Refreshing material which conveys such a genuine warmth in the Idiots’ friendship that it feels a privilege to be welcomed into their gang for even an hour.
9/10
Idiots of Ants Model Citizens is running at Soho Theatre, London, from the 14th-29th September.
For ticket information please visit: http://sohotheatre.com/whats-on/idiots-of-ants-model-citizens/