Pub quiz romp that has all the answers

THE Sunset Fi v e is everything you’d hope to stumble across at the Fringe. A young theatre company, Leeds DugOut, operating on a shoestring budget, arriving in Edinburgh with little or no fanfare and delivering up a lively, inventive, feel-good production, more than capable of putting the so-called big boys to shame.

It also happens to be very, very funny. Which, let’s face it, for a comedy is no bad thing.

Directed by George Chilcott, Tom Black and Sadie Spencer’s tight script is peppered throughout with puns and one liners that will have you in stitches.

Hot Fuzz meets Ocean’s Eleven is the publicity description for the show. And for once it’s pretty apt.

In t he sleepy seaside town of Chipworth, pub quiz team The Quizerables find their local watering hole, The Sunset, under threat of takeover after the owner finds herself knee deep in debt.

The town’s shady Mr Big, Mickey Mansion, has called in all of her markers and the pub will soon be his if she can’t come up with £80,000 within 30 days.

Cue action, as faced with the news, The Quizerables (weak point Arts and Literature), decide that the only way to raise the money in time is to pull a heist and rob Mickey’s casino.

As you might expect, in classic heist tradition, the team are a disparate group of misfits: Alice, the mousey computer nerd; local journalist and shy, posh boy Hugh and Neil the gymnast – whose special skill sets all get put to good use here.

As unlikely relationships begin to bloom, even town thug Fork gets in on the act with hilarious and unexpected, results.

Both paying homage to, and cocking a tongue-in-cheek snook at heist movie conventions and the pub quiz world, the show is played out on an almost bare stage, with mysterious Stetson wearing quizmaster Fred, acting as narrator for the yarn.

‘We all have a choice,’ he says philosophically at one point in a laconic, Texas drawl. ‘Sometimes we have multiple choices.’

In between treating the audience to some fine character comedy imbued with real heart, the excellent, sixstrong, multi-tasking cast are also in charge of delivering sound effects and playing the live score onstage.

I have to say it’s a pared back, lo-fi theatrical fusion that works extremely well here and only adds to the show’s appeal.

Oozing with simple British charm, The Sunset Five is a hilarious, mustsee romp. One that deserves to be a roaring success and go on to have a shelf-life beyond the Fringe.

Pleasance Dome until Aug 31