Siblings have the rapport that only siblings can. Two dozen lab coats, a colander-helmet-dream-hat they are going to read your dreams. In the Great British tradition of character comedy the laughs come thick and fast through their roles. There’s Dr Gargle (Marina Bye) a dream scientist, hapless, old fashioned, a bit Freudian (‘I’m a lonely, lonely man’ gets a big sad laugh). And there’s his six-years-unpaid Work Experience, Ruff, at the Big Tech firm (‘DooDoo’) financing the experiments. Together they uncover your dreams (after making you sign an ‘NDA’ on the door).  Dreams of fame on the world stage, nightmares about not knowing your lines, wet dreams about (—I’ll leave that for you), and mysterious rambling twisting tales with angry teachers, sharks, songs…

The performance fizzes with the competitiveness, shyness and pride of Gargle and Ruff his assistant, with the funniest rapport I’ve seen at the fringe. 

‘Those kids doing whatever they do… Disernay Plus? TicTac?’ Dr Gargle begins. 

‘TikTok,’ reminds Ruff: ‘TikTok. TikTok.’ 

Beat. 

‘Don’t rush me.’ Tension? Anger? Ruff throws a punch, Gargle grabs it, the audience collapses. 

20:20 | 1-24 August, Baby Grand at Pleasance Courtyard.

Photos by Dylan Woodly, review by Will J. Wood.