I was rather unsure of what to expect from Lady Garden. The title of the group has quite a rude connotation, doesn't it? That wasn't the reason why though. When I looked into them to find they were a six-piece female sketch group, I became a lot more intrigued.
Over the last twelve months, Lady Garden have been making their own mark over the UK comedy circuit. Along with being involved in a number of comedy festivals and various residencies, they have recently signed a twelve-month development deal with the good old BBC. So, there isn't a lot of pressure with this show is there?
Dressed all in black and wearing a simple green dress, Hannah, Beattie, Rose, Jessica, Eleanor and Camille sucked you into their world from the moment they stepped on stage until the very end. One thing I was surprised at was how individual each woman was. It was great to see that they were all given their own opportunities to show of many aspects of their obvious comedic flare.
The variety of sketches ranged from small interludes, to more fleshed out sequences. My personal highlights being: Girls On Tour and also Bev. I don't want to say anymore about that one - it has to be seen to be believed. The costume changes were minimal and on the whole ran very smoothly. Each sketch felt so cleverly constructed to fit with all types of humour possible, something I thought I would never see, but was carried off amazingly well by all involved. There may have been a couple of times where the changeovers could have been slightly slicker, but this is merely a minor quibble.
I have always been a fan of females within comedy, and I feel so happy to have seen them this year at the Fringe. Especially when their future seems only to be getting much bigger and brighter. I urge you to catch these wonderfully funny women now, before their run comes to an end, and everyone wants a piece.
Times: 16-31 August (not 19), 5:20pm