The comedy story of pretty much every Fringe in the near future is destined to be ‘can successful TikTok comics hack it live?’ The stars of ‘Knock, Knock’ – that’s host Coco Sarel (pictured) plus Henry Rowley, Steven McKell and Ayamé Ponder – have racked up kajillions of views, likes and swipes between them, and for the first time pretty much ever, they’re taking on comedy IRL. So, can they hack it? The short answer: yes and no.
Sarel opens the show with a disclaimer: the show is an ‘experiment’. It’s a sort of real life version of a TikTok For You Page where each artist is given a short stint on stage before being whisked off and replaced with someone else. By the very nature of it, some acts are more polished than others – but it’s still a brightly entertaining hour, even if you aren’t already familiar with the personalities.
It becomes clear very quickly that Sarel is the stand-out. A confident, chirpy, cheeky host, she rattles off hilarious riffs about different personalities in female friendship group chats which had the crowd – and admittedly, herself – in stitches. McKell themed his content around his experiences of being one of eight siblings growing up in Fife, and while he rolls on with an excellent, cheery rhythm, some of his self-deprecating jokes feel slightly dated and lazy. Ponder is disappointing, too: her cocky woo-girl persona feels entitled rather than engaging and her closing skit fell flat thanks to its nervous, rushed set-up.
Luckily, Rowley is on hand to end the show on a high. Known for his short skits impersonating middle-class girls, it’s only so long before Tilly, Hattie and the crew make an appearance in an excellent segment about the ridiculousness of British music festivals. His impressions are delivered with a hilarious full-body movement that honestly makes it seem like he’s possessed, while the characters themselves are so slick the crowd loves them in seconds. Laddish and brisk – like a young Jack Whitehall, except more self-aware – he’s instantly relatable and makes the whole thing look incredibly easy.
‘Knock, Knock’ is fun, but it’s not a Fringe show in the traditional sense: these youngsters have a collective following of more than seven million fans: filling seats for the month is not their number one career priority. That said, they’ve proved they’re not gimmicks – and perhaps they’ll return for future Fringes, with their own full shows.