With the Edinburgh Fringe Festival not going ahead this year, there has been a huge gap in the diary of both Fringe lovers and artists. Wonderful venues such as The Space UK have not been able to host their usual Fringe events, so they have put on a digital festival instead. This festival offers a real mix of comedy, theatre, dance and cabaret. The Glummer Twins definitely come under the heading ‘comedy’.
The Glummer Twins are a duo (as the name suggests), ‘The Beat Goes On’ is their reflection on how the last six months of lockdown have been for them. The duo was formed by David Harmer and Ray Globe who were once a part of a comedy group called ‘Circus of Poets’ which also included Ian McMillan and John Turner.
This 25 minute performance is packed full of northern humour and we hear about Ray’s birthday in lockdown, all the joys of spending it without celebration and of course, being somewhat (cough, cough) on the wrong side of forty, he laments at another birthday and spending it alone.
There are many references to the ‘test and trace’ system and that buzzing in your trousers and like many of us the hair that desperately needs a trim.
This duo work so well together, the comedic poetic rhythmic delivery of the banter that goes on between them, all weaved together with the music played by Globe makes the 25 minutes fly by. I have not seen The Glummer Twins live, but I would certainly like to, they seem effortless in their delivery and it is a shame that they could not perform their act on a stage in Edinburgh this year.
The medium of digital performance does not always work with comedians, but it seems to suit their style of delivery, although I think if they wanted to expand their set, they would need to add another theme in to mix things up a bit.
Definitely worth watching for a quick injection of humour!
To watch ‘The Beat Goes On’ go to https://online.thespaceuk.com/watch-shows/comedy and there is a donate link if you can afford to make a donation.
Reviewer: Caroline Worswick
Reviewed: 26th August 2020
North West End UK Rating: ★★★