Cardinal Burns sketch show should be funny. With two talented good looking guys, with one of the best openers in Fringe sketch history, some clever and inventive ideas, and such a willing audience, there really isn’t a reason to go wrong. And, nevertheless, it just doesn’t work.
Both, Seb Cardinal and Dustin Demri-Burns have a presence on stage, and make any character their own, but it is just that, as a whole, the show is lacking in laughs. There are some corkers, of course, but laughs are far between, leaving just faces of amusing entertainment, or plain wondering what is going on.
They come out in their underwear, almost baring it all, and they get dressed in front of you, after ironing each other’s shirts. It is a brave stunt, and a difficult one to follow. But follow they do, with their best segment, a television chat programme. The fun here is that, the interviewee is not a famous person, but just a normal guy, who hasn’t achieved anything of substance in his life. But by subverting this idea, they present a ten minute sketch where the interviewer asks the usual questions you would expect of an ‘important televised interview’, and the laughs come aplenty.
But after this, the show stalls. Their American Indy film falls a bit flat (even with such a great idea), while their French potato shop sketch is amusing, but hardly laugh out loud. An audition for a drinks advert starts well, and has Seb Cardinal at his best, but it is overlong.
They end up with a dated sketch, which leaves you wondering why they didn’t get rid of it all together. On the whole, you can see their potential, but it is frustrating that Cardinal Burns doesn’t get there.
2/5 
Adrian G. Velazquez
(4 votes, average: 3.75 out of 5)
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