Bravo to these erudite and sophisticated young gentlemen for daring to break the mould of conventional sketch-show structure! The cultural connoisseurs’ wry and askance lecture on the development and demise of popular literature, from acclaimed ‘Don Quixote’ to the deplorable “internet typewriter”, improved gradually – audience members were perhaps too highbrow and repressed to do anything more enthusiastic than titter mildly and applaud politely at first. However, the duo hit their stride with some marvellous one-liners (“If I want fiction, I’ll read a newspaper!”), concluding with a salute to reading that justified the price of admission alone. This was a solid, satisfying but not sensational hour, which was remarkably appropriate for a commentary on the death of the novel.

Just The Tonic at The Caves, 4 – 28 Aug (not 17), 3.20pm (4.20pm), £6.00 – £8.00, fpp82.
tw rating: 3/5
[jf]