Spotlight at The Second City: January Review

If one of your new year’s resolutions is to see more great comedy, you should check out Spotlight at the Second City, the monthly showcase of up-and-coming sketch comedy talents.

This month’s double bill consisted of two bold, risk-taking troupes. Even when one of their sketches didn’t land, you had to admire them for swinging for the comedy fences.

First up was Cheap Wine, which consists of Jack Creaghan, his sister Charlotte Creaghan, and Jesse McQueen, who’s married to Jack. Predictably, the trio possesses a kind of onstage chemistry, comfort and rapport that you can’t manufacture.

In their charming opening sketch, two adolescent boys are attracted to their teacher, with one of them not wanting to be called to stand up in class because of… well, adolescence. The three play with our expectations, not just in playing with gender in the performances, but in a couple of absurd, eye-popping reveals. 

Sexual anxiety of another sort came up in a sketch involving a sophomoric prank involving Jack’s laptop. The clever writing and precise direction of this sketch was so good it elevated the material, even though the blurred over video recreation of the prank could have been enhanced to earn even bigger laughs.

Their best sketch was a police interrogation scene in which a detective (McQueen) grilled a suspect (Jack), only to be interrupted by a second detective’s (Charlotte) outbursts about her name. The utter absurdity of the situation was boosted by the sharp writing, lively pacing and committed performances. 

A couple of sketches — including some in which the performers joined the audience — needed tweaking. But despite their name, there’s nothing cheap about this troupe. They’ve got an innate sense of scene structure and rhythm, and their decision to tie their material together thematically added momentum and consistency to their mini revue. 

The second troupe, 24 Double B, is one of the most likeable sketch acts I’ve seen in years. Their opening scene finds the duo (Blair MacMillan and Brendan Kane) fresh from a successful heist and listening to a police scanner to see what the authorities know. The cops’ descriptions of them cause a rift, resulting in a very amusing blackout line. 

A hostage negotiation scene goes to unexpected places, thanks to a character’s name that sounds suspiciously like that of a notorious sex offender. And an extended sketch about the relationship between an ESL instructor and student uses expert physical comedy to create the couple’s entire history, landing on a very funny tableau at the end. 

The two show off their improv chops in a very clever sketch about calling out inappropriate behaviour. But while they engage in some audience participation to enhance this scene, they don’t quite take care of the volunteer in a way the way more experienced improvisers would. 

But they’re still young. And considering this is only their second revue, they should have lots of opportunities to refine their act. 

Producers/co-hosts Gabe Meacher and Taylor Hreljac opened the show by acknowledging a recent interview they gave to a certain comedy reviewer. They then proceeded to send themselves up in a series of mock articles from other outlets. 

Clever stuff. And proof that if you’re going to deliver fake news, at least make it funny. 

Spotlight at The Second City continues monthly with new troupes.
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