Rat: Induction

This hour-long series of recollections is supremely tried and tested, but retains all the freshness that can make debut Fringe gigs so electrifying

★★★★
comedy review (edinburgh) | Read in About 2 minutes
Published 17 Aug 2014

Andrew Maxwell professed that he will not return to Edinburgh next year, claiming its middle-class commercialism, dare we say elitism, has fully absorbed its birthplace as the home of new talent. But at the other end of the spectrum, new acts and groups continue to muscle through in search of national press, wider audiences and relentless, festival gigging experience. Rat is one such debut trio with sketches written, directed and performed by Alistair Donegan, David Newman and Camilla Whitehill.

Sketch comedy is by no means in short supply at the Fringe, but Rat infuse storytelling in ways that are becoming more and more deep-rooted at the Festival. Our three protagonists find themselves waiting in limbo, perhaps in purgatory, a trapped lift or just an interview waiting room, indulging each other in flashbacks of their worrying childhoods and embarrassingly inept employment history.

Donegan, Newman and Whitehill have such graceful chemistry it’s surprising to learn they haven’t been together for years. Coming into the Fringe as London Sketchfest finalists however, this hour-long series of recollections is supremely tried and tested, but retains all the freshness that can make debut Fringe gigs so electrifying. The only thing they have yet to perfect is a more considered synthesis of punchlines and eccentric characters: currently, there are only occasional belly-laughs that, admittedly, show room for further improvement.

To this end, Rat are an exciting, well-pitched sketch comedy team who certainly have a bright future not only at the Fringe, but across the comedy circuit at large.