CityLife

Pappy's: 200 Sketches In An Hour

Pappy's

Pappy's
The Lowry
February 28, 2010

Sketch comedy group Pappy’s brought a riot of inspired silliness to the Lowry.

Formed in 2004, the London trio use a combination of daft costumes, home-made props and musical talent to win over the audience with their fast-paced nonsense.

The show is based around a supposed attempt to perform 200 sketches in an hour, but the world record attempt is quickly derailed as Pappy’s go on a madcap charm offensive.

A deranged Quaker, the world’s tallest man and a pathetic dinosaur called Dean are just some of the characters in Pappy’s rollickingly surreal world. Tom Parry as the aforementioned churchman is the energetic heart of the show, charging around like an overgrown schoolboy who’s had too many jelly babies.

Having accidentally flashed the front row as a toga-clad Julius Caesar in the first half, he adds insult to injury in the second by covering one poor woman in porridge.

It’s all taken in good humour though, because despite their shambolic approach Pappy’s are just too charming to dislike. All three members throw themselves into the show with genuine gusto, meaning that even the most groan-inducing puns come off as hysterical.

However, the highlight of the show is a wordless triumph, featuring the team as old men who discover that they can make musical notes by prodding one another. This unpromising set-up turns into a unreserved delight as they slowly start to play a tune, building into a pumping version of The Kingsmen’s classic Louie Louie.

Balancing silliness and structure is a difficult act to pull off, but thanks to their tight plotting and undisguised joy of performing it’s one Pappy’s achieve with aplomb.