I was not an easy audience for the cast of Footlights: Leftovers. I turned up ten minutes late after running from my (slightly delayed) train with a heavy suitcase, was incredibly sweaty – and I don’t really like sketch comedy shows. That’s why I think it’s all the more impressive that in a matter of half an hour they managed to have me chuckling to myself in the back rows, while the rest of the (slightly more drunk and slightly less stressed) audience was howling with laughter.

“There was never a moment of awkward silence”

Footlights: Leftovers does what it says on the tin: it’s a tight sketch show with a fantastic variety of brief visual gags, longer sketches, monologues and brilliant bits of satire. Each scene was split up with quick recorded quips played over the speakers, which meant that the pace was kept up and ensured there was never a moment of awkward silence as people shuffled around moving plots. The audience was kept engaged the whole time as every variation on ways of getting a laugh were hurled out at us by the talented cast.

“The Footlights applied their razor sharp wit to all aspects of global politics”

I think the show’s sheer variety was one of its biggest strengths, as there was something for everyone in the audience. Sketch comedy can be really dull if you only find one sketch out of twenty funny, but with this show you can be absolutely certain that another laugh is coming, even if not every single line is your cup of tea. Personally, Footlights: Leftovers really stands out for actually being satirical, something that is all too often lacking in a lot of student comedy shows.

My favourite sketch detailed a family’s visit to Fracking Land – a magical theme park that shows the very best of Brexit Britain’s world-beating environment, all powered by the clean, green energy source that fracking provides. The family showed almost as much glee as they were showered in shale-contaminated water as our Prime Minister shows when he talks about Britain’s hydrocarbon-based future. Keir Starmer’s Labour Party was also in the crosshairs as the Footlights applied their razor sharp wit to all aspects of global politics (next world cup in Mordor, anyone?).

“Mallows was able to keep things slick and engaging as a director while also shining as a member of the cast”

Funny scripts are worth very little if there isn’t a talented cast to bring them to life, and they did not disappoint! From Barnaby Evans’ bold performances and range of characters to James Hazell’s perpetually unimpressed straight man, the cast was able to pull off a whole variety of different accents, personalities and physicalities. Throw Oscar Matthews’ and Jago Wainwright’s kooky collection of moles, micro pig salesmen and fortune tellers into the mix and the whole thing really started coming together without a weak link in sight.

Each cast member’s talent really came through under the guidance of director Amy Mallows, who also starred in the show. Mallows was able to keep things slick and engaging as a director while also shining as a member of the cast – no mean feat!

I left theSpace on the Mile that night a lot happier and more relaxed than when I entered, all thanks to the brilliant work put in by the entire cast and crew of Footlights: Leftovers. I thoroughly recommend this show to anyone in Edinburgh before the 19th (or even if you aren’t – come up for a daytrip, it’s worth it!), and that means a lot coming from someone who likes sketch shows as little as I do! Make no mistake, the name of this show is misleading because Footlights: Leftovers is a full meal of a show.

Footlights: Leftovers is playing at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe until the 19th of August at 21:50 in theSpace on the Mile.