In the centre of an empty stage is a screen, bathed in orange light. The soundtrack suggests a wild jungle in the middle of a wind storm. Shadows are cast across the stage of two animals hard to make out at first. The noises are excited, high pitched … Monkeys! Wild monkeys! Is this a piece on evolution? The stage is set for an exciting night.

The stage lights come up … the music stops … the monkeys stand upright, introduce themselves as The Umbilical Brothers and welcome us to this, their Rehearsal.

The Brothers (David Collins and Shane Dundas) are putting together a show for mysterious sponsors. They have a loose series of sketches currently at the first level. In their dreams the show will be so big that it’ll pack the Vector Arena, perhaps even Madison Square Gardens. The size of the venue is shown by fingers in a spotlight against the aforementioned screen, and some skilfull voice work creating an echo in the cavernous space.

The screen later becomes a well used tool once a video camera is brought into play, making use of its size to create at times hilarious visual gags, the first that comes to mind being man walking on the moon. The renowned physical comedic prowess of the Bros is well displayed in ‘Velcro World’: how does one breakdance when the whole world is sticky?

The stand up comedy elements of the show were ably executed with the expected audience participation coming once a woman in the audience was found to have uncanny resemblance to Morgan Freeman. The was no question that this participation is genuine as the third brother Jeff Shatwell exhibits perfect comedy timing in his role as the Interrupting Plant, so good in fact that when he is called to accept his award he is too busy playing the same role in another bigger production.


Lighting and sound are used to great effect as the punchline of a few of the jokes. Michael the technician gives voice to this normally hidden element in any theatre production, by way of a loudspeaker as the cue system ‘goes wrong’. We are reminded at one point that the sound will be different when this is the full production.

Given that this is a rehearsal perhaps we are also being asked to forgive that the show at times seemed to drag, but never to the point of losing the audience’s interest. The good time these two seem to having up there is in itself contagious.

The laughs when they come are genuine, deep. I most certainly enjoyed "every second minute of it".

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