Siblings: The Siblinging Returns!

Real-life sisters Maddy and Marina Bye return from a sell-out run at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, bringing their quirky and absurdist sketch show to the Vault.

Getting into character with New York accents, the siblings try to find their seats, pretending to be at a performance in London’s West End and commenting, “it was meant to be a sold-out show,” effectively breaking the fourth wall. After a short while, the pair scatter pretzels amongst the audience, putting everyone at ease and creating a relaxed atmosphere.

This is the Bye sisters’ introduction, and they start their set by asking audience members to introduce themselves too. In one scene they ping rubber bands into each other’s faces, imitating snorting pigs, while in another they mock cases of botched plastic surgery and various middle-class problems; ironic as the duo are the daughters of comedian and famed American celebrity personality Ruby Wax.

The pair’s facial expressions are exaggerated and comical, with the audience left chortling on several occasions. The siblings also partake in Elizabethan dance – taking two unsuspecting partners – followed by sketches of historical deathly plagues; amusingly, this is a period piece titled Period. In another segment, they portray social media influencers: with loud American accents as they clutch tiny handbags. When they compete at a pony-racing club, Maddy feeds a man a carrot and also takes a bite herself, with horsey false teeth. One of the last parts of the show sees the performers invite everyone to a pseudo-spirituality session while they utter random words in breathy, soothing tones.

In the final section, the comedians act as “Soccer Dads”, combining original musical compositions with hilarious lyrics in an excellent rap while they impersonate private school male students and their fathers, eventually returning to their original characters and coming full circle. Trying out some new material with older sketches, the sisters have heaps of imagination, and they are undoubtedly having fun whilst creating some worthy and truly idiosyncratic comedy.

Selina Begum

Read more reviews from our Vault Festival 2020 coverage here.

For further information about the event visit the Vault Festival website here.