REVIEW: BRAZEN HODGEPODGE @ DRAYTON ARMS THEATRE

🎭 Brazen Hodgepodge

📍 Drayton Arms Theatre, 153 Old Brompton Road, London, SW5 0LJ

🗓 Thursday 26th February 2026

⭐️ 4 Stars

HODGEPODGE BY NAME, PROPER COMEDY BY NATURE

It's always a treat to head up the stairs to the Drayton Arms Theatre. There's a certain magic to this intimate fringe space that makes you feel like you're in on a secret before the curtain even rises. This week, the secret is BRAZEN HODGEPODGE, a whirlwind of a show that feels like a love letter to the golden era of British sketch comedy.

If, like me, you grew up on the sharp-witted anarchy of Not the Nine O'Clock News or the character-driven brilliance of early French & Saunders, you'll find yourself right at home here. It's proper old-school sketch theatre, but with a modern, biting edge.

The ensemble - Sam Gibbons, Martha Cranston, Sebastian Senior, and Dan Thorn - work with a frantic, infectious energy. Martha and Sebastian are wonderful chameleons, hopping between absurd caricatures with ease. Dan is an incredibly strong performer. His physical comedy is top-tier and he brings a grounded strength to every character.

However, the real engine of the night is Sam. He is an absolute standout, commanding the stage with a presence that demands your attention from the second he steps into the light. He has that rare ability to pivot from high-drama satire to clownish absurdity without missing a beat. When Dan and Sam are on stage together, it's pure electric chemistry - a great duo that feels like they've been performing together for a lifetime.

The satirical writing is where this show truly sings, and the more pointed the sketches got, the funnier they became. A few standout moments had the audience (and me) in stitches. Jordy Potter was a delightfully off-brand take on a certain boy wizard that leaned into the sheer absurdity of the wizarding world. Then there was the toxic masculinity takedown. Watching Andrew Tate get systematically dismantled and interrupted by his own mother bringing him a cup of tea during a podcast recording was a stroke of genius. It was the perfect blend of topical satire and domestic relatability.

My absolute favourite scene of the night - and frankly, the highlight of the whole evening - was Starmer and Trump. Taking live questions from the audience is a high-wire act that can easily go wrong, but this was pure brilliance. The quick-fire responses and the uncanny (yet ridiculous) impressions were impressively sharp, showcasing a level of improv that you don't see often enough.

The show also excels when it leans into its recurring themes, weaving a thread through the "hodgepodge" that makes the evening feel cohesive. A favourite recurring sketch of mine was The 1930s Comment Section, which was fantastically funny and executed brilliantly.

That said, it wasn't quite perfect. The only jarring bit for me was the amount of darkness throughout the evening. Between the live sketches, we were often treated to audio sketches while the stage stayed black. While the writing in these was clever, and I understand their necessity, they often felt a bit too long and interrupted the overall flow. In a show this energetic, I personally preferred the instant switch between scenes, where the momentum never had a chance to drop.

Despite the occasional lull in the transitions, BRAZEN HODGEPODGE is a triumph of fringe comedy. It's smart, it's satirical, and it's unapologetically "proper" sketch theatre. If you want to see a cast who know exactly how to tickle a London audience, get yourself down to South Kensington before they wrap up on Saturday. Click here for tickets.

Neill Kovacic-Clarke

All views are my own and I pride myself on being honest, fair and free from influence. Theatre is subjective and it is important to remember that all views expressed are just those of one person.

My ticket for this performance of Brazen Hodgepodge was gifted by Sam Gibbons (Artistic Director) who invited me to watch the show in exchange for my honest review. The fact that my ticket was gifted played no part in the content of my review or the star rating given.

CAST LIST:

Sam Gibbons; Martha Cranston; Sebastian Senior

RUNNING TIME (approx):

1 hour 40 minutes, inclusing interval

CONTENT WARNINGS:

Strong language; Sex references; Weapon imagery

AGE GUIDANCE:

16+

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