Harry Hill – Sausage Time

From the moment Harry Hill entered the auditorium from the stalls, hidden behind a bare striped mattress commentating with amplified tomfoolery, we were in another world of boundless comic possibilities. Mixing sharp one-liners with shaggy dog stories, ridiculous stunts, a spot of audience participation (most especially the closing ‘bit’ of act one, in a set-up familiar to all fans of Hill’s ‘TV Burp’), along with impressive dance skits, and a hilarious wordless attempt with a bucket of water involving everything from a straw to a funnel – this felt like the full force of Hill’s comedic arsenal, and you got the distinct feeling more could be hovering in the wings at any second.

‘Sausage Time’ was as tightly scripted and staged as any orchestral symphony with no flab – and at one point I even thought he may well have had to storyboard in when he could draw breath. Hill, his house band and collective friends were utterly committed to entertaining us, skipping seamlessly from a raucous brawl to perfectly synced Shakespeare.

After two hours (including intermission) I left exhausted with laughter and with a lightness in my hearts that even the snow couldn’t dampen. And an overwhelming urge to get an iced lolly, regardless of the weather. Utter, silly, filled-with-mayhem, glee.

Theatre Royal Brighton, 12 March 2013
Rating:
Victoria Nangle