BWW Reviews: THE HABIT Brings Inspired Sketch Comedy to The Bathhouse

When I think of the truly great sketch comedy out there I immediately look to those Monty Python boys or The Carol Burnett Show.  Those were true masters of taking ordinary situations and turning them on their head to make them absolutely hilarious.  Well, I think we can add The Habit to that list.  Five very funny guys who take on sketch comedy with an absurdist bend and deliver an hour of non-stop laughs.

Originally formed back in the 1990’s these dangerously funny guys continued a highly successful run all over the country into the 2000’s before ultimately disbanding.  But thankfully the band got back together last year and now intend on bringing their strange brand of humor to Seattle audiences on an annual basis.

With a variety of sketches ranging from life with David Bowie in The Labyrinth to the bare bones of courtroom and medical dramas to an in depth examination of terrorism, the five members of the group, John Osebold, Mark Siano, Jeff Schell, David Swindler and Luke Thayer show themselves to be comedic masters as the show clips along at a breakneck pace and never drives a joke into the ground (something the folks at Saturday Night Live could take a lesson on).  But beyond that the writing is crisp and fresh and even has a stream of consciousness through line that never lets up.  Just when you think you know where they’re going, they hang a left and drive you straight into a wall.  And yet manage to bring the show full circle and back again.   

I really don’t want to say too much about the show lest I give away the gags.  But what I can say is that these guys along with contributing writers Ryan Dobosh and Austin Elston know what funny is and know how to sell it. 

The best thing about sketch comedy is that it’s short little nuggets of comedy.  So even if you come across a clunker, it’ll be over in a few minutes and you can move on to the next one.  But with The Habit, there’s not a clunker in the bunch and so you’re in for one hell of a night.  I just hope you like Adele. 

“The Habit” performs at The Bathhouse Theatre in Green Lake through December 2^nd.  For tickets or information visit them online at www.thehabitcomedy.com.

Photo credit: John Cornicello