Four Screws Loose In #Screwtheworld

Assembly George Square

Until August 27

★★★

FOR proof that a Free Fringe hit one year can lead to paying customers the next, look no further than this young all-male foursome and their high-energy sketch show, now included in the official Assembly offering. At times #Screwtheworld treads a fine line between being winningly crass and needlessly puerile, but the tightly-synched musical numbers are slick and the subjects they satirise – Super Mario, Titanic in 3D, boybands, coffee shops, iTunes – are universal enough to leave nobody feeling excluded. There's a strong League Of Gentlemen feel to the sinister women who feature in a couple of the skits and which are the only linking characters, but mostly Four Screws Loose stand on their own eight feet where influences are concerned. They're a treat to look at too. Their checked Van slip-ons are the only constants in a wardrobe which is forever changing and which tends towards the draggier end of the bargain bin. But it's the appearance in a lime green mankini of the quartet's skinniest and most hirsute member that will burn its way into your memory. Possibly forever.