Howard Coggins and Stu Mcloughlin have been working together for over five years, and it shows: their performances are polished, proficient and perfectly timed. The gags come thick and fast, especially in the first half of this performance. They claim that their shows are ‘poorly researched’ but they taught me a thing or two about Henry VIII and his six wives. I didn’t know that Henry only came to the throne because his brother died. Considering that Henry’s split with the catholic church (because of the pope’s refusal to grant him a divorce) was one of the most significant moments in British history, perhaps I should brush-up on my historical facts.

This show was the first of Living Spit’s ‘historical comedy-theatre shows’ and was originally conceived, written and performed in 2012; apparently because Howard ‘looks a bit like Henry VIII’. It’s lost none of its flavour or spirit in the intervening years. The two cast members may be a little older, but they still fill the show with massive amounts of vigour, creativity and fun. There are also moments of drama and improvisation amongst the laughs. Howard is a bundle of energy from his pink boots up to his bald bonce. Stu, playing all six wives at some point as well as Henry’s dad and son, cuts a calmer figure as the perfect counterpoint. Together they completely fill the small stage in the Wardrobe Theatre with their presence, charm and charisma, using just a few props and some musical instruments. If they ever make it big, and they surely will, you’ll be glad you saw them in an intimate space where their accomplished and engaging style works best.

No opportunity for a sharp gag or witty aside is missed in this intelligent and entertaining show and there are hilarious set pieces: one is based on Britain’s Got Talent (to find the new Archbishop) and another is a Blind Date sequence as Henry tries to find his fourth wife, in which Stu adeptly switches between a po-faced Anne of Cleves and a comical, northern Kathryn Howard. There are superbly comical songs too; the final chorus says at the end ‘a man needs a woman… or six’. Both players have excellent singing voices and Stu can pluck a mean guitar, you can tell they were in bands before they did acting. You don’t need to know your history before you go to this piece, but it will have you browsing the web for more details afterwards. Somehow Living Spit manage to combine humour, history and entertainment into this fantastic fast-paced and funny show.    ★★★★★  Adrian Mantle   18th October 2017