Review: 2030

2030 was the ADC Late Show, playing after Legally Blonde on the 15th and 16th of March, featuring sketches based loosely on the theme of what the world would be like in 11 years time.

Immense credit should be given to the performers for not allowing what was quite a small audience of just over 50 on each night, understandable due to it being a late show in Week 9, drag down the energy of the room, keeping laughs coming consistently throughout the hour. The theme was creatively explored and well executed. Predictable premises, such as the advancement of self-aware AI technology, were cleverly intermixed with very current concerns, such as a clever sketch where performers with ‘historical hindsight’ refused to comment on the outcome of Brexit. Some were outright bizarre, with a man's murder being earnestly blamed on Tom from Tom and Jerry…

The full cast with a Christmas sing-song to close the show

The writing and performances were strong, with highlights including Ahmed Amor with a star-making turn as a Northern Santa, a role he was born to play, and Rohan Sharma who brought the audience to hysterics playing a newlywed giving a lovestruck wedding speech to his alien bride (the groom is seemingly unaware of her lizard state), getting a round of applause for the appearance of his ‘son’, a bouncy rubber egg. Credit to the show that the penultimate sketch, which saw two actors miming an awkward elevator situation (but in a teleporter – gosh) managed to make the theatre resound with laughter without a word being spoken.

The opening sketch on the LAST SINGLE BEE (but not the last MARRIED bee, that's in storage)

There was good continuity between the sketches, with recurring gags such as the tragic extinction of the bees providing a larger narrative and preventing the show seeming disjointed and incoherent, props were sparse but well-utilised, and timing was tight, keeping scene transitions brief (though the choice of Chase-n-Status’ ‘No Problem’ as filler music raised eyebrows).

As to be expected with over twenty scenes, the odd sketch fell flat, such as one featuring a woman complaining of being too hot in a sauna and a forest fire (though this was redeemed by a callback sketch featuring her as an overheating muffin in an oven). The show also endured slight technical discrepancies, with lights often coming down slightly too early or late, leaving awkward pauses after sketches.

Despite these minor blunders, it was fantastic to see a largely BME cast, with established footlights, such as director Isambard Dexter, alongside those making their comedy debut on the night or the 23-Hour Sketch Show the night before, performing very well-written sketches with fantastic energy, enthusiasm and cheek. A hearty congratulations to all!

4 stars

Isambard as the convincing Ghost of Future Past

(All photo credits: Kate Martyr)