We've Become Mango:

You know how some people are just disgustingly talented?  I've mentioned my friend Marianne's blog here before, and also showcased some of her artwork.  If you've had a look at her blog, you'll probably already know that she is quite an articulate and humorous human being, but did you know that she is also a member of a three piece comedy sketch group called We've Become Mango?  And did you know that they are actually funny?  (Marianne isn't even paying me to write this, although she did ask that I give We've Become Mango five stars for any upcoming Fringe flyers.  Here they are: *****  Enjoy!)

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Bribery aside, going to amateur comedy shows was quite the thing during my first year at uni, and as a result I have seen some good stand up and also some truly awful stand up in my time.  I remember seeing Kevin Bridges (before he was famous) fill in at the last minute for another act at our Union.  He opened his mouth and swore profusely into a microphone for half an hour in an attempt to hide the fact that he didn't actually have any jokes to tell.  Going even further back in time, I can recall sweating through unbearable performances by my high school's Comedy Club, who had a grand total of one member with any comedic talent in their midst (sorry to any Comedy Club veterans who might be reading this...).  The harsh reality is that live comedy, and particularly live sketch comedy, isn't that easy to pull off, unless you really know what you're doing.

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We've Become Mango (also known as Marianne, Richard and James) certainly seem to know what they're doing, or have got me fooled at the very least.  Their recent live sketch show at Edinburgh's Bedlam Theatre, entitled 'Talking Limbo', was well attended and very well received by the audience.  Despite claims of stage fright, the trio exuded confidence on stage, and kept us all laughing with them (not at their expense) even through minor technical difficulties.  The structure of 'Talking Limbo' gave each member of the group a chance to flaunt their strong talents as individuals, but also showcased the trio's obvious chemistry and comedic compatibility.  Most importantly of all, they really looked like they were enjoying themselves up there, filling the venue with an infectious enthusiasm that I never felt at those ill-chosen university comedy gigs.

We've Become Mango will be back with a vengeance for this year's Edinburgh Festival and Fringe, so look out for them if you happen to be in the area this summer.  Be nice to them if they thrust a flyer in your face, and go and see their show if you can, because they are the funniest amateur comedy act I've seen (and better than a lot of the professional ones I've seen too...).  If you like taking the piss out of pop culture, overdramatic comedy falls on stage and guessing the difference between bodily functions for fun, then you'll love these guys!  (They make it all a lot funnier than me, I promise!)

You can find We've Become Mango on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wevebecomemango

or Twitter: @wevebecomemango

Like and follow them for updates about upcoming shows!