Review: Flanders and Swann

Homage to postwar musical comedy is warm and infectious

★★★
comedy review (edinburgh) | Read in About 2 minutes
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Flanders & Swann
Photo by Steve Ullathorne
Published 04 Aug 2019

For those not belonging to the generation familiar with the original Flanders and Swann, the pair were a comedic duo who achieved success in the postwar years with their repertoire of wry and rollicking comic songs, covering everything from domestic difficulties to animal adventures. Those born after the baby boom will, as many have pointed out, probably only know them only through Armstrong and Miller’s caustic parody-tributes Brabbins and Fyffe.

In contrast, Duncan Walsh Atkins and Tim Fitzhigham have no mockery in mind when representing their inspiration. This is a heartfelt, sincere performance that seeks to remind contemporary audiences of what entertained in decades gone by. In doing so, they certainly demonstrate the idea is sound – so much so, it raises the question of whether similar homages could have potential in a modern setting. Recitals of old Goon Show episodes or Hope and Crosby routines might not do too badly at the Fringe.

In the meantime, Flanders and Swann are definitely up to the challenge, with their rich baritone and musical ability. The songs themselves are warm and inoffensive, if perhaps an acquired taste. However, the routines linking the musical segments are where the real comedy lies, and the pair show themselves to have chemistry and improvisational wit, which is gratifying when the bulk of the material they cover is not exactly fresh. Even if you find the humour of the songs a little self-indulgent, or you’re not of a fan of the precursors Atkins and Fitzhigham pay tribute to, their enthusiasm is infectious.