EDINBURGH 2026: REVIEW: THE LIBRARIANS: A VERY SERIOUS COMEDY!, PLEASANCE COURTYARD at Pleasance Courtyard
Slapstick physical farce meets workplace schemes in Cabbage Productions' dangerously clever comedy.
When Mischief Theatre, the comedic masterminds behind The Play That Goes Wrong—puts their stamp of recommendation on a show, expectations run high. They rarely miss a brilliant comedy, and The Librarians: A Very Serious Comedy! absolutely delivers. True to its cheeky title, writers Matthew Howell and Jack Michael Stacey for Cabbage Productions craft a high-octane blend of absurd theatricality anchored by surprisingly sharp, grounded observation.
At the crumbling Plumstanton Library, routine administrative decay devolves into an existential battle for survival. What makes the production stand out is how seamlessly it balances two distinct modes. On one hand, you have classical physical farce: spitting drinks, calamitous tumbles, and mechanical slapstick executed with clockwork precision. On the other, there is a biting satire of workplace politics, power struggles, desperate schemes, and even a murder!
The entire show rests on the shoulders of an impeccably calibrated performers. Functioning like a tight vocal ensemble where every chaotic line and reaction finds its harmony, all of the performers demonstrate absolute mastery over both physical slapstick and subtle character work. Nothing is played purely for cheap laughs; the stakes feel genuine to the characters, making their administrative panic as cathartic as it is hilarious. The Librarians proves that the fight for public services is best fought with sharp writing, physical brilliance, and total comedic commitment.
The Librarians: A Very Serious Comedy! plays at Pleasance Courtyard (Pleasance Two) through 31 August 2026.
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