Intrigued by the brief summary in the guide, Darkchatter Phil headed by himself to watch Seasoned Professionals, a

farce promising delight and mirth. But was it to be more of a case of amateurs lacking a spot of salt and pepper, rather

than what the play suggested?

The setup is an intriguing one; the mascots of the various UK holidays (the Easter Bunny, Father Christmas, Guy

Fawkes, a box (for Boxing Day) are effectively real people doing a real job. Unfortunately, despite UK unemployment

at a record low, it seems that budget cuts are forcing the cancellation of one public holiday, meaning one of the

mascots will soon be out of work. The decision as to which public holiday it will be is to be determined following an

inspection of each holiday as the year progresses, and the one that offers least satisfaction to the public will be the

one that gets the chop. The mascots then take it upon themselves to sabotage one another’s holidays in an attempt to

make their own the best.

The play, on a whole is largely very amusing, with honest and enthusiastic performances from the large young cast. It perhaps lacks in terms of the quality of the jokes, with more mild chuckling on display than any real outbursts of laughter. Still, where it lacks in polish and writing quality, it more than makes up for in passion and originality.

Not a must-see, but certainly worthy of filling an hour if you have the time.

Seasoned Professionals is at Gilded Balloon Rose Theatre until August 17th (not 11th)

https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/seasoned-professionals