TOsketchfest23 Review: "The" Sketch Show

Performing as part of the Toronto Sketch Comedy Festival, “The” Sketch Show took over the stage at the Comedy Bar to deliver their scathingly relevant, punchy, and often hilariously awkward sketches to an eager audience. This lively troupe were primed and ready to deliver witty commentary on topics of performative allyship, LGBTQ+ issues, race, mental health, and awkward romantic encounters while keeping the energy light-hearted and fun.  

The draw for “The” Sketch Show came from their variety of sketches from their numerous musical breaks, bits of audience participation, long form sketches, and even their own version of “Weekend Update” a la Saturday Night Live. The troupe here is a big one and all together, they barely fit on the small Comedy Bar stage but their diversity added variety and versatility to their sketches.

The original song numbers stood out as some of the highlights of the evening including the one about the poor actor cast as a pedophile on TV and the one about the cis white hetero ally who supports feminism and isn’t a racist. These had the audience cackling. Of their longer sketches, the one written by a trans woman who wanted an excuse to create a whole sketch where everyone complimented her excellent new heels was a delight, as was the imaginary girlfriend sketch mostly because it included a puppet. Everyone loves puppets.

It did seem, however, that the audio wasn’t balanced at the beginning of the show. Some actors sounded quieter than others, which made it harder to understand them, and the speaker music often drowned out those speaking. Fortunately, the audio did balance out as the show continued.

“The” Sketch Show delivered and the audience clearly loved it as a few people were scrambling to log in their audience choice votes, ones that the troupe had clearly earned. 

The Toronto Sketch Comedy Festival runs March 19.
www.torontosketchfest.com