You know those things you’ve always wanted to say about someone? They are usually bad things and you know you must keep them to yourself. Well, in Said and Done Sugerscratch Theatre pretty much say them all. The two protagonists are at a wedding, the nuptials of the sister of one of them. And of course, she hates her sister, and she doesn’t have a particularly high regard for the rest of her family. Various wedding guests receive the sharp end of their tongues: the bridesmaids, the ex and even their own mothers. Dancing to Cher, surrounded by bunting and quaffing the white wine like there is no tomorrow the pair perch in the side-lines of the imaginary wedding in the same way that they seem to occupy the edges of their own social lives. We see two close friends get increasingly bitchy about their mates, their family and eventually themselves.

Wedding frocks, gaudy jewellery and clumpy heels; Alice Ritchie and Lily London are the two guests. They rise from their chairs, tottering forwards and backwards during their synchronised tirades,  berating their antagonists (everyone) and getting sequentially more rancorous. A kind of competitive role play ranting; squawking, squealing and swearing. Occasional blurring the edges of the characters-within-characters they propagate enjoyable confusion making the audience guffaw and gasp in equal measure. With this, and the hard edges in the dialogue, the show avoids falling into a rut of clichés. Of course there are classic sketches about the ex-boyfriend and the too-pretty bridesmaid; crude gags about orgasms and farting, I mean after all we are British. But the smart scene changes, aided by skillful and subtle lighting, mean that the pace and the energy never drop. The two demonstrate admirable skills in comedy timing, physical theatre and slapstick. The keep us giggling, and guessing… where is this going? Don’t worry; there is a point. I shan’t spoil it by telling you but we all know friends who have become too close.

These are two modern women in their twenties, both the characters and the actors, so I’ll take their word for it that women still suffer from pressures to conform to old-fashioned norms: to look pretty, get married and follow traditions. Pressure from family and friends and from themselves. There are references to modern life: dating apps, Uber and Love Island. There are echoes of social scenes that we’ve all seen a thousand times at weddings. All of these matters are explored and exploded in the show and the two manage to do this with pathos and humour; jumping artfully between characters and maintaining an engaging visual flow. No wonder it has been sold out in previous runs and I predict that this one will too.  ★★★★☆    Adrian Mantle  31st July 2018