Created and performed by Mary Redmond, ‘Maz Pantz’ arrives at the Camden Fringe with considerable confidence, promising a character-led sketch show combining physical comedy, mime, cinematic voice-over and cleverly constructed material. Unfortunately, the performance itself falls some considerable distance short of that promise.
Across approximately 45 minutes, Redmond introduces an assortment of eccentric characters through a succession of sketches, some of whom return throughout the show. There is certainly imagination behind the concept, and Redmond commits enthusiastically to each creation, employing physicality, recorded sound and exaggerated characterisation to distinguish between them.
On paper, this should be a fun show, however the difficulty is that the comedy rarely lands, and many of the sketches feel underdeveloped, continuing beyond the point at which their central idea has been established, without finding the comic escalation or satisfying payoff needed to sustain them. Much of the humour operates at an intentionally broad, almost childlike level, but successful silliness requires considerable precision, timing and control. Here, too often, the material from Redmond feels amateur rather than deliberately anarchic.
The exceptionally small audience on this occasion undoubtedly presented an additional challenge, you do after all need an audience to laugh at your jokes, and sketch comedy depends heavily upon rhythm and collective energy, and performing to a sparsely populated room can make even strong material difficult to sustain. Nevertheless, the lack of audience response cannot entirely explain why so many of the sketches struggle to connect.
There are glimpses of a more successful ‘Maz Pantz’ within the production, and its heightened characters, voice-overs and quick transitions could potentially translate more effectively to a filmed-for-TV sketch format, perhaps as a tightly edited 30-minute programme where pacing could be controlled more precisely. On stage, however, the material requires considerably greater development.
Redmond demonstrates commitment and imagination with her portrayal of the characters, but what ‘Maz Pantz’ now needs is sharper writing, stronger editing and an external directorial eye capable of distinguishing the genuinely funny from ideas that have simply been allowed to run for too long.
At present, there are plenty of characters in ‘Maz Pantz’, but unfortunately too few laughs. If you do want to check this out, the show runs again at Canal Café Theatre on 24th and 25th August and tickets are available at: https://camdenfringe.com/events/maz-pantz
Reviewer: Alan Stuart Malin
Reviewed: 23rd August 2026
North West End UK / Theatre Muse UK Rating: