Well on the way to becoming Fringe stalwarts, the Underbelly Fresian was packed out with an audience with a wide age range for this performance of 2 Mouthed Men. The title gives us the clue what this production is all about.
Daniel Stanger-Cornwell and James Hawley are outstanding beat-boxers, and this is a production that showcases their skills to the max. It’s not all beatboxing and music though, Daniel and James have combined their beatboxing prowess with a love of sketch comedy.
So 2 Mouthed Men flips between music, comedy and a combination of the two. Some of the comedy is just a little bit rude, but it seems to fly over the heads of the younger audience members without any problems, and most of it is silly enough to keep all age groups entertained.
The musical elements, particularly when James picks up his guitar, are undeniably stronger than the comedy moments, you could describe some of it as toilet humour, quite literally. Still, even the least funniest sketches managed to raise a smirk, no doubt due to the pair’s ability to really connect with the audience and get them on board with almost anything.
What Daniel and James also have is impeccable comic timing, there’s a skit involving a famous Joe Cocker song, and James absolutely nails it. Similarly, Daniel seems completely at home interacting with the audience and recognising how to get the best from them.
2 Mouthed Men is a wonderful hour of silliness, underpinned with tremendous skill, that audiences definitely relate to. The comedy might not always be on point, but they never drop the ball on the musical elements, and ultimately it’s those beatboxing skills that will keep bringing Fringe audiences back to see Daniel Stanger-Cornwell and James Hawley.
