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The greatest show and other bromances: Adam Riches and John Kearns ARE Ball and Boe @sohotheatre

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Alfie Boe and Michael Ball seem to be a bit of a joke act anyway. Their endless interpretations of popular songs (also known as covers) and their double-act bromance make them quintessential crossover artists where popular music meets opera and Broadway. And a perilous choice for the discerning listener. It’s not that they aren’t talented musicians and performers in their own right. Still, their musical choices are always safe, predictable and less than their potential. But every country deserves to have a pair of self-described national treasures that can tour the local arenas and give people a good time for the bargain price of £175 a seat.  And so the concept of Adam Riches and John Kearns - two world-famous from the Edinburgh Fringe comedians taking on this bromance seems like a curious choice for a Christmas musical fare. One can only hope that over the fourteen nights, it is playing at the Soho Theatre that the show evolves into something more substantial than a series of po...

Comedy: The Kransky Sisters


The Kransky Sisters tea towel, originally uploaded by Paul-in-London.

I went to see the Kransky Sisters Tuesday evening at the Leicester Square theatre and all I got was a lousy tea towel. Well actually... Being a boy from Brisbane I couldn't resist the cultural references. I'm sure growing up I saw that sign countless times on those long (and driving anywhere in Brisbane was long) family drives to dams. Of course you don't have to be from Brisbane to get their weird act, it only helps at the margins... Such as I saw the show with Stephen who is from Glasgow, and I had to explain that it was Wivenhoe Dam not Wife and Hoe Dam. He's going to Australia in a few weeks for a holiday so I figured the Kransky's were a good way to get him used to the place.

The Kransky's act starts with a montage of photos to take the audience on a journey to the place where they are from... Esk to be precisely (which is best described as a few hours west of Brisbane rather than a leisurly drive from the city centre). I had been there so the photos were not necessary, but they paint a vivid picture: steaks that cover a plate, dust, shops with unusual signs, more dust, dead kangaroos and still more dust. The Kransky Sisters then appear on stage and tell their story how they are sisters who listen to the wireless and hear popular music. Using a reed keyboard, musical saw, tuba and guitar they perform their interpretations of these songs.

I first saw the Kransky's back in Brisbane in 2002 and thought they were fantastic then and they have got better and weirder since. They are wonderful characters full of disturbing traits (including long silent pauses and creepy stares at men they fancy in the audience) that will surely remind you of your great aunt... Or maybe that is just if your great aunt is from South East Queensland. Of course they are also great musicians and singers too and their hilarious show is running through to October 12 before they head off to Europe. Not to be missed if you like that creepy sort of thing... It's worth staying to get a tea towell signed too... If you can handle their act up close... Just don't mention you're from Brisbane...

From a safe distance, more of their act can be seen on Youtube:

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