Sam and Dave, Double the Fun
Dudley and Peter sitting on a bench with their iconic flat caps and papers. Cook with his miserly deadpan wit and Moore with his infectious naive retorts.
We remember fondly how this pair could bring you into their lyrical, world view. When two comedians meet and discover their differing qualities can in fact strengthen the comedy value of their act as a whole, great things can happen.
Could there be two such comic performers working on new material here in Exeter? Maybe. Sam Morgan and Dave Rees are ready to perform their new live show at Exeter Phoenix.
I met Sam in the arts centre cafe after a busy week rehearsing and he told me the origins of their double-act.
“I knew I found something great when I met Dave, he looked just like Peter Cook. We’d both acted and written independently and then met up at an improvisation class. Sam and Dave is unique. There’s lots of standup around but you just don’t get double-acts everywhere.”
The Sam and Dave Sketch Show presents a series of three minute scenarios run back to back with a mix of live comedy and projected video sketches.
The films bring a bit of variety to the format, keeping the audience on their toes with new characters and situations. Usually TV sketch shows are found on the small screen, but with this we are also treated to the spontaneity of a live performance.
The turn around is quick, from their old geezer sketch they don policeman garb and with abandon jump into a visual routine as animated and energetic as Morecambe and Wise. Each piece brings a refreshing twist of satire with local characters and current affairs.
There’s an innocence and charm about this show which reminds us of what classic British comedy does best. Take the everyday and find the funny side.
Their recent production at Exeter Phoenix has been three months in the making. The writing is where it starts, creating and finding the right scripts.
Much of the material begins as improvised sketches and the best is shaped later into final material. Quite often in rehearsal, it’s when the group of performers bounce ideas off each other, that the gems emerge.
“The sketch show is coming back. We’re just discovering what works. Silly, intelligent, outrageous humour is great when you get the blend just right. Our comedy comes from lots of places; the Two Ronnies, Morecambe and Wise, there’s some Monty Python in there too.”
Listen to the Sam and Dave Show on Monday 13th April at 11am on Phonic FM 106.8fm and online at www.phonic.fm
Not to be missed.