“Welcome to the B.S Incorporated Shareholder’s meeting.”
Improvised to perfection, Broad Strokes play a group of company executives, hell bent on getting their investors (the audience) to endorse their new eco-friendly product (a hoover). The fivesome have comedic timing mastered as they chaotically move about the stage, inventing names, occupations, and a wider context for the plot. The lights go down, the five enter the stage, and, after a short introduction, a thick New York accent pierces the air: “Welcome to the B.S Incorporated Shareholder’s meeting.” Seeking out audience members’ insights, they construct a plot filled with unexpected twists and turns that leave the room in stitches. It is no wonder they won the ‘Spirit of Wit’ award at the Festival.
Comedy sketches, more than most performances, place their actors in precarious and risky positions. If one joke doesn’t land well with audiences, the entire performance can be unfairly classed as a failure. Broad Strokes needn’t worry. The audience hung onto every word, chuckled at their innuendos and fiercely applauded them. While their set was slightly pared back, consisting of only a few chairs and a projector screen, the environment’s sterility kept a corporate facade that allowed their jokes and on-stage movements to truly shine.
The group is a true force to be reckoned with. No doubt they will continue to flourish as comedy sketch artists; I would not be surprised to see them at Edinburgh Fringe next year. Regardless of their future success, of which I can be sure, they can be proud of their wonderfully witty contribution towards Dublin Fringe this year.