Formerly Pappy’s Fun Club, a comedy quartet, the group is now a trio and just called Pappy’s, the performers are Ben Clark, Matthew Crosby and Tom Parry. They are continuing their successful 2009 Edinburgh Fringe world record attempt, ‘Pappy’s: 200 Sketches in an Hour ’and have taken the show on the road and as part of this tour came to Edinburgh’s Stand Comedy Club where Geoff and I witnessed the deliciously manic silliness first-hand, and had our initial experience of the cult that is Pappy’s.

We entered the Stand heading for our normal table to find the venue completely turned round to support their requirement for a stage with wings and two entrances. The stage itself was also larger than normal. The show was in two sections, one ½ hour warm-up followed by an interval then the one hour show.

Matt

Tom

Matt burst on to the stage with a boisterous welcoming chuckle but didn’t get the reception he expected so went off and started again but only to a slightly warmer reception. However as Tom then Ben came on and we got warmed up the fun really started. The warm up sketches did not bode well for the record attempt because of their length  but were very funny, actually so much so Ben kept corpsing, with the other two not far behind.

After a short interval the 200 Sketches started, seemingly badly, as the first song seemed to go on and on and on. There were times when they were fast and furious, sketch after sketch but then there were times when the scenes seemed to drag out longer and longer. With various themes running through from the Quaker man, world record breaking tallest man and smallest woman along with the cutest, sweetest Dinosaur Dean and the 200 sketch totaliser.

We may or may not have made the world record but Ben, Matthew and Tom had about as much fun as we had. Look out for the guys at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2010.

For more information on Pappy go to www.pappysfunclub.co.uk or for future shows at the stand go to www.thestand.co.uk