Ubersausage are now synonymous with dark and surreal comedy but their latest offering, The Black Sheep, probes deeper than any previous production. Still keeping with their own brand of surreal, slightly disturbing sketches The Black Sheep is definitely more introspective than previous works.
On the surface a lot of the material is disturbingly morbid, but the Ubersausage treatment lets us look past the conventional and laugh at our own mortality. It seems that nothing is taboo and no institution is sacred (who can forget last year’s Anne Frank musical?).
While Ubersausage have stormed the Fringe in previous years, The Black Sheep doesn’t quite hit the same highs. It could be that much of the previous team have gone, but the writing duo of Murgath and Jones are still present, so we can only assume that it’s the subject matter that’s removed the shine.
Many find it hard to laugh at death and depression, but it’s these sketches that reveal the true brilliance of the Murgath/Jones writing partnership.
The Black Sheep takes a meander through the dark troughs of the mind and, while we may not like to talk about these recesses, it might be time that we lighten up and laugh about them.
Other companies may recycle and repackage material for the risqué, yet safe market but The Black Sheep keeps maintains the company’s reputation of pushing the boundaries of taste and decency. As a result they aren’t for everyone, but you’ll never know until you try. Ubersausage don’t make lager, but if they did it would probably be damn fine.
4/5
Richard Biggs
