WitTank spoons out hilarity at King’s Place

Having first seen comedy group WitTank two years ago at the Edinburgh Fringe on the recommendation of a friend, I’ve been coming back for more at every opportunity. These are the guys who compete against some other 2500 shows for an audience at the Fringe every year and still manage to pack the house for every performance.

At first glance, it’s not easy to see why: the threesome don’t have the media fame of other Fringe rivals such as Jimmy Carr, Eddie Izzard or Shappy Khorsandi; nor are they born out of a traditional representation like the Oxford Revue or the Footlights. It seems improbable that the set, whose existence alone arose after a rejection to perform in the Durham Revue, could succeed in not only winning over but also multiplying their audience every year for the last five years.

But succeed they have. Their sketches are brilliant, original and unforgettable: there may not be anything particularly witty about them but the boyish charm, charisma and excitement that WitTank bring to the stage draws you in immediately. See what you like at the Fringe, but I can guarantee you that these are the guys you will be quoting and imitating months after.

With this in mind, I was over the moon when I learnt that I would be reviewing one of their rare shows out of the Fringe milieu. Even in the sleepy King’s Place venue every seat was taken, word-of-mouth being crucial to WitTank’s fame. As the lights fade and the three take to the stage their appearance electrifies the viewer as they seem to bounce off each other and the audience.

My only disappointment was that to a dedicated Edinburgh fan like myself, the material presented at this London viewing was largely recycled from their previous shows. Even so, I was still able to thoroughly enjoy the performance. It hardly mattered that I wasn’t hearing these jokes for the first time, I was laughing myself into a stitch anyway. If there’s one thing these guys are good at, it’s timing—something the other shows of the night (The Three Englishmen and Nish Kumar) fell short on.

Going to the Fringe this year? Make sure you check these guys out. I know I’ll be in the audience again.

WitTank returns to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival this summer. Shows from 1 – 26 August.