Lazy Susan: Double Act

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Lazy Susan offer up a plethora of characters using little more than wigs and hats. Their clown-inspired make-up is evident throughout the show, hinting at the non-realist nature of the worlds they conjure. This is a universe of dirty surgeons, whistling stuffed toys and micropigs. While that may indicate whimsy, their comedy is more grounded than that, and the range of working-class accents they employ point to their interest in the ordinariness of personae that might at first glance seem absurd.

The pair are clearly fascinated by the idiocies of masculinity—especially that of teenagers—and they swagger around the stage embodying laddish heft. But adolescence is also a time when boys try to be men, and they mine the comic mileage in those who fail that transition. Even the female characters exhibit bullishness, such as a motivational speaker bragging about her material success. Links between these skits are hinted at and themes recur, but even if this coherence is not as secure as it might be, the parts are pleasurable enough to be enjoyed distinctly.

The whole is presented at blisteringly high speed, with a velocity that sometimes makes keeping up and hearing every joke tough. But the simple joy of clowning oozes off the stage, and the punchlines are hammered home effortlessly. There's nothing lazy here: more like high-class inventiveness from two performers at ease with their skills. It'll be fascinating to see where they go next.