Musical comedy duo Jonny Donahoe and Paddy Gervers ought to be grateful to Ukip. When deputy leader Paul Nuttall complained about their Stop Ukip tour last year the twosome went viral.
But that helpful nudge has not stopped them from biting the hand that fed them a higher profile. In Rock the Vote they put bags of energy into Farage-bashing in their catchy songs. Best of all is their melodic spin on the pronunciation of his surname. “Rhymes with same-sex marriage”, sings Donahoe with a meaty, bluesy lilt.
They certainly love to give their fans a good rhyme. It feels as if they have only penned a song about Angela Merkel so that they can rise to the challenge of ending stanzas with words that sound like the German chancellor’s surname.
While there is plenty of political material here — frequently at Ukip’s expense, with Ed Miliband noticeably escaping scrutiny — it is when they get personal that they are at their best. Donahoe’s piano-based ode to his bigoted father was both pithy and poignant.
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The current trouble with satire is that though laughs are easy real bite is much tougher. Donahoe and Gervers often excel at witty musical wordplay, but preaching to the converted they played it pretty safe. I doubt if they changed where anyone is going to put their x today, but they did put a smile on everyone’s face last night.
Tonight (020 7478 0100, sohotheatre.com)
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