Pleasance Courtyard
5 - 31 Aug (not 15, 22); 7:25pm (8:25pm)

Known for their Victorian-themed sketch show Aeneas Faversham, comedy trio The Penny Dreadfuls bring us something completely different this year.  A modern-day mock-thriller romp, The Never Man revels in all the hackneyed stereotypes of the genre: a busted copper, an evil overlord, a man who's lost his memory and a some of the most girly fisticuffs ever seen on stage.

We caught The Never Man on its premiere at the Brighton Fringe in May, where it enjoyed an ecstatic reaction from audiences and critics alike.  We concluded that the Dreadfuls had lost nothing by dropping their Victorian theme; "the genuinely hilarious denouement", we wrote, "proved once and for all that - as well as an inspired gimmick - these people have always had skill".  We had praise for Thom Tuck's title role, "hamming it up deliciously as the Panama-hatted fool thrust into a world of intrigue", while Humphrey Ker's suspiciously tall "small boy" was a highlight too.

The show we saw in Brighton was still quite rough, but we're sure it'll now be crafted into the tight performance we're used to from the Faversham days.  It is, without doubt, another sell-out winner - so book tickets early to see the masters of Victoriana leap into the present day.