Those People comedy review: Breaching the friend zone
Constantly reiterating that the two protagonists are ‘just friends’, this roaring and delightfully queer two-hander pokes fun at the murky boundaries between friendship and romance
In the increasingly popular world of clowning, sketch comedy duos are still somewhat of a rarity. In their highly original hour of sapphic silliness, best-friend duo Lara Ciulli and Riana White marry these two disciplines in a winning combination.
The crux of Those People stems from the intense intimacy of the two performers, fostered by decades of genuine friendship. A passive-aggressive offstage tiff opens the show, laying the emotionally charged bed on which all of the sketches build. From there, the pair suggestively straddle the line between sincerity and absurdity as they use contemporary dance, character work and written jokes to poke fun at ambiguous queer friendship, pop culture discourse and, most prominently, each other.
Ciulli and White are naturals on stage, dripping in charisma and displaying an impressive toolbox of performance skills (the series of dance breaks are as technical as they are hilarious). Their interplay is rapid and dynamic, allowing them to hold tension in the room for minutes at a time while still getting the gag across and keeping audiences on side. At its core, Those People is for the gay and goofy, but its skilful execution and artistic craftsmanship make it a universal breakthrough act at this year’s Fringe.
Those People, Pleasance Courtyard, until 30 August, 11pm.