Homepage News Reviews - Acts - Shows - Screen - Radio - Books - Clubs Interviews Awards 2006 Edinburgh 2005 - Reviews - Blog - Previews Features Archive Awards 2005 Edinburgh 2004: - Previews - Shows - Diary Guestbook Forum © Emporium Of Mirth 2004 Editor: Lauren Murphy Reporters: Fiona Wilkie Natalie Joanne	Emporium of Mirth Snuff Box Matt Berry and Rch Fulcher have been creating odd nuggets of comedy in various forms with members of the Booshy clique for longer than I can remember (ok, I *can* remember but I don't want you people knowing just how much of a comedy anorak I am) an finally they've teamed up to make a series of their own. The result is quite bizzare, slightly unnerving and utterly brilliant, with trademarks of both it's leading men stamped all over it from the opening frame. the swoop of seventiesadelica hints at Matt Berry's presence before you even lay eyes on him and the odd cursings alert us to the presence of Fulcher in instants, even when he's unrecognisable. these early indicators to the sheer amount of talent present come as a comfort just when you need it, for within seconds, a noose appears and a poor, defenceless extra ceases to be before berry, fulcher and their fould mouthed priest friend have even dspenced with the important issue of weather the ladies mind "effin and jeffin2 in a potential mate. but don't let that fool you, this is neither the beginning of a 30 minute killing spree nor a slew of "aren't men and women really different" jokes, but the beginning of some strange and wonderful adventures based on the heritage of Berry's line of Hangmen and the dens of iniquity they frequent. Oh, and babies. what we're left with is neither sitcom nor sketch show in the traditional sense, meaning, thankfully, that those looking for the new Little Britain need not apply. Even at it's most silly, snuff box has an intelligence at it's core, even when the logic is twisted. even more pleasingly, repetition is minimal, sketch series only spanning the course of a single episode rather than the easy laughs brough from dead horse flogging and when we retune the following week, the sketches will be replaced with something orignal and often even funnier. However, dispite what appears to be a winning formula, Snuff box will almost certainly never make it to the mainstream for two reasons. 1. it's that little bit too good. Quality rarely breeds success on today's British television. look at Bo selecta. 2. The killings. Death is their living, so every episode has a body count, and far from that being the crux of the show or being offensive, the off handedness with which each murder is performed has an anti-shock value which makes you feel uncomfortable rather than outraged. No doubt the Daily Mail will still find a way though. that sad, the themes of death and nooses creep in even in the sketches that have no bearing on the overrall plot, cropping up in the most innocuous of places to add to the discomfiture. Don't get me wrong, i wouldn't loose any of those elements for the world. partly because it all adds to the well-rounded and delightful flavours of the show and partly because anyone who is goingto be put off by the death of a few extras doesn't deserve this gem of a show. So there. Reviewed by Lauren RSS  Printable version	Visit our Siamese Twin Sister Site!