Writers: Ed MacArthur and Kiell Smith-Bynoe
Director: Benjamin Chilcott
This is an incredibly stupid idea. There’s surely no debating that a Grime lover and a Chelsea toff competing to be the world’s greatest children’s performer is really dumb. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t very entertaining all the same.
Sylvester ‘Silly’ String (Ed MacArthur) is the king of West London children’s entertainment. And he doesn’t want to stop there. He wants crowds of tens of thousands yelling adoringly, “It’s behind you!” at Wembley Arena night after night. But when he’s bumped by a new name on the scene to entertain an oligarch’s daughter’s sixth birthday party, his plans are derailed.
MC Spitta (Kiell Smith-Bynoe), a TikTok sensation, has previously owned the East London children’s entertainment racket. But now he’s encroaching on String’s turf, and String is not going to stand for it.
The audience is called on throughout to yell out their favourite animals, join in on a moody rendition of “Who stole the cookie from the cookie jar?”, and one lucky (or unlucky depending on your feelings on audience participation) front-rower is brought on stage to quickly learn and rap the chorus of a whole song in a Russian accent.
There’s nothing subtle or nuanced about this story, but that’s absolutely not the point. This is pure, daft entertainment. It has the atmosphere of going to see your friends do something really silly. That might sound like a dig, but Smith-Bynoe and MacArthur create such a sense of comradery, they’re able to get a crowd at a late-night show in Soho gleefully doing “Big fish, little fish, cardboard box” over and over with no eye roll in sight, which normally only happens when you’re really rooting for your mates.
After a short Soho run, String V Spitta is heading to Edinburgh Fringe, and there’s no doubt they’ll absolutely kill there. With balloons, magic tricks and fancy-dress, this is perfect for a festival crowd after a few drinks.
Runs until 10 August 2023 and then at Edinburgh Fringe
