Kieran and the Joes: Teampowered

Joe, Kieran and Joe are supposed to be spoof management gurus, sending up the teambuilding days inflicted on office workers across the country. As a premise it never comes through strongly, and yet the show is enjoyable regardless – a testament to the talent and immense likeability of its three eponymous performers. Their attempts to turn individual audience members into a team get lost amid a series of sidetracks, mostly amusing though they are.

Conceptual flaws aside, Kieran Hodgson and Joes Parham and Markham give an incredibly polished performance, bouncing off one another in a slick, energetic way that would be impressive even for a far more experienced troupe.  Hodgson, playing the dimwit sidekick of the more dominant Joes, emerges as the star of the show, managing to time his supposedly blundering, disruptive interjections to perfection. He has the most wonderfully expressive face, needing only to raise an eyebrow at the antics of the other two or to scowl after being scolded to have the audience falling about laughing – with the women in particular cooing with affection.

Shows that rely so heavily on audience interaction always risk struggling against a reluctant crowd but these three seem to have mastered the art: the boys don't miss a beat when a participant gives an unexpected answer, immediately turning it into a witty two-minute digression.  With just a little more coherence and consistency across their individual gags, they could become something very special indeed.