Cook and Davies: Do Not Leave This Room at The Caves

Youthful sketch comedians Cook and Davies have so much energy that even Lee Evans would have a hard time keeping up. The two friends, who met in university, have a camaraderie and an enthusiasm for entertaining that is delightful to watch.

Do Not Leave This Room is a sketch show that goes beyond the standard format of a collection of disparate skits. The overarching conceit is that the boys have been set a challenge to imagine they’re locked in a room and to find a way of escape. They lurch between applying themselves desperately to the task at hand and distracting themselves with role-playing fantasies.

The show’s drawback is its sheer volume of material. It comes across as a full presentation of every idea the boys have come up with in the rehearsal room and continues far beyond what feels like its natural conclusion. This is a shame because all the best gags are diluted by the lower quality fodder. With a great deal of editing down, this show could be lean and punchy.

One of the standout scenes conjures up a job interview in which both parties switch between personalities at the sound of a code word, and it showcases the pair’s talent for surrealism. Instead of ending the sketch right after its punchline, they boldly push on, taking the joke to a new and somewhat mind-bending level.

While their raw talent is evident, Cook and Davies’ best work is ahead of them. They have imagination by the bucketload; with harsher rehearsal-room editing and further development of their stage personas, they could deliver a more consistent and professional show.

Laura Foulger

Cook and Davies: Do Not Leave This Room is at Just the Tonic Comedy Club at The Caves from 4th until 28th August 2016, for further information or to book visit here.