It’s normally a good sign to leave a comedy night in pain. So, with diaphragmatic and facial aching, I left the Library pub and hours later found myself reliving the highlights of the Tealights comedy sketch group’s perfomance. With three new personalities joining two familiar faces, this was a seamless transition of personnel from what was already a stellar outfit. Sketches ranged from everyday trivialities to more poignant satire, and Emre, Will, Em and both Joes should be comfortable in the knowledge that their preparations for Edinburgh fringe are really coming along.

With three new personalities joining two familiar faces, this was a seamless transition of personnel from what was already a stellar outfit

The tone for the evening was set with Lewis Dunn’s Apprentice wannabee ‘Stanley Brooks’, a character whose idiocy he claims got him to the final stages of auditions for Lord Sugar’s TV show, and given the calibre of contestants these days it’s not hard to see why. But the Tealights were certainly the night’s main event, handling current affairs with intelligent tact; there were only subtle allusions and jokes aimed at the Apprentice’s US counterpart and founder Trump, and the same goes for Brexit, subject matters so obvious it could have been done to death by lesser comedians. Instead, at one point we were treated to a happy days-esque sitcom, with Jesus as the protagonist who just can’t seem to get anything right. Another highlight had to be their Laidlaw library enforcers, a crack team of seriously aggressive librarians out to catch anyone who’d dare to try and leave without signing their book out.

But the Tealights were certainly the night’s main event, handling current affairs with intelligent tact

Their humour lay in the relatable; the strange sidestepping dance we all do when trying to walk past someone going the other way; the objective hilarity of moronic neanderthalic lads; the not so well known fact that all Australians are cannibals. There was buzz in the crowd as we filed out, all raving about a performance which can only be described as a triumphant success. Best of luck to them as they represent Leeds at the fringe in August.

Harry Stott

Image courtesy of The Tealights