You can sometimes palpably feel the number of times a show has been performed, and Pretty Little Panic, the Footlights’ International Tour show, has been performed a lot. Returning last week from an acclaimed tour of the US, and following a sold-out run at the Edinburgh Fringe, the show was seamless and stylish. Though there was an underlying sense that the cast had had enough of what they were doing, Pretty Little Panic was slick and sometimes spectacularly funny.

Stylistically this was a very sleek and tightly directed production. The stage was empty apart from three stools which were the only props used throughout. The costumes consisted of simply a plain white shirt and black trousers, lending an air of professionalism that one expects from the mostrenowned student comedy group of them all. The lack of props was handled well, with sketches mostly based around verbal jokes rather than visual gags, and mime was used effectively and not distractingly when needed. This whole show was about machine-gunning out the jokes and with minimal set constraints one sketch could be started the instant the last one had finished.

The four footlights stalwarts on show, Ashenden, Owen, Fiddaman and Lawrence, gave excellent performances throughout. Ashenden in particular squeezed every last drop of humour out of each characterThis was especially so in his surreal used car salesman monologue which managed to keep the audience in fits of giggles throughout without him having to resort to a single joke. An over use of silly faces and jazz hand stances (Lawrence was particularly guilty of this) can be forgiven thanks to otherwise exceptional displays of comic acting.

The format has obviously been meticulously thought out - perhaps a little too meticulously. The first and final skits cleverly bookended the show and sketches segued smoothly into each other without the usual lights out, fumble of chairs and offensively loud music that usually signals a change in most sketch shows. Often the last line of the ending sketch was echoed at the start of the new one to keep up the pace. However this meant that punchlines were sometimes lost as extra dialogue was added after the sketch should have finished, sapping momentum and confusing the audience. The best example of this was predictable yet funny mirror routine. Everyone could see the punchline coming. The punchline came. We laughed. The sketch then carried on for an extra few lines to crowbar in a clever transition and the head of comic steam that had built up drifted away.

Apart from the aforementioned surreal car salesman monologue and a few interesting format tweaks, most of the sketches on offer were very much of the funny man/straight man format in various contexts, which left the second half of the show feeling a little bit predictable. Pretty Little Panic isn’t really anything new or inventive but, when it comes down to it, the point of comedy is to make the audience laugh and laugh we did.

Although probably a friendlier crowd than they will have met in the harsh climate of the Scottish capital during their stint at the Edinburgh Fringe, hardly a joke was left unappreciated and almost everyone left smiling broadly. There are problems and with a little more it could have been outstanding, but this is still a very funny show. If you’re expecting ground-breaking, Earth-shattering or any other geologically interesting comedy then you’ll probably leave Pretty Little Panic a little underwhelmed. However for the average comedy punter this does the job admirably. It will make you laugh. A lot. And why else do you go to comedy?