“It really seems to me that in the midst of great tragedy, there is always the horrible possibility that something terribly funny will happen.” (Philip K. Dick). The Leeds Tealights return to Edinburgh with their new show, Souls for Sale. After 13 years of success and sellouts, the well-oiled machine that is the Leeds Tealights present an hour or irreverent, surreal and (on this occasion) spooky sketches. The show follows the self-confessing ‘narrative construct’ of a sketch group who sell their souls in order to receive some great material – a deal which appears to have paid off for the benefit of the audience.
The sketches devised by the group are witty, topical and silly in the best possible way. The group which is 6 strong, 4 men and 2 women, all have their own personalities and mannerisms which they bring to each character they portray. The self-awareness of the show is certainly one of the many joys to be had whilst watching the show and the group go so far as to figuratively and literally break the fourth wall.
The energy they have on stage is infectious and they allow themselves to have fun with the show, which only enhances the performances and entices the audience to get involved. The sketches have elements where improvisation is deployed and this creates a wonderful experience for all. There are some members of the group who really stand out and dominate the laughs in their sketches, perhaps shadowing some other members of the group. That said, the dynamic clearly works and those members have real potential.
The material itself is strong; diverse, engaging and very obscure. The group have a fantastic ability to observe an everyday thought or idea, such as there being an elephant in the room or catchphrases with peoples names in, and turning them into clever sketches which have the audience laughing throughout. I would highly recommend this show to all lovers of comedy, they are a great example of sketch comedy at it’s best and with a little fine tuning, they will go a long way!
Review by James Evans
When the Tealights sell their souls to the Devil in exchange for new material, they discover their sinful traits through a series of fast-paced, absurd sketches. From the surreal setup sprawls a collection of eclectic and eccentric sketches of which the Tealights are revered on the student comedy circuit. Souls for Sale delivers an hour of impeccably timed, irreverent comedy – a sketch show not to be missed.
Company: The Leeds Tealights
Dates: 3rd – 26th August (Not the 13th) 2018
Time: 4:05pm (1hour)
Location: Just The Tonic at the Caves (Venue 88) Just Up the Road
Went to see the Tealights today. It was an electric atomosphere.
Show very entertaining by myself and son. We both laughed for different reasons! Will be back next year