COMEDY PROFILE – HAYWARD AND HADID “THIS IS AN EXCUSE”

Cheeky, brash and more than a little bit crass, ‘This is an Excuse’ is the debut show from self-confessed improv addicts (Lauren) Hayward and (Francis) Hadid. For just over a year they have been refining their craft as part of Melbourne’s new Chicago style improv club ‘The Improv Conspiracy’, but they’re testing their mettle with this one hour original sketch comedy.

‘This is an Excuse’ covers a lot of ground; it’s a tale of star-crossed lovers (and BFFs), the conflict between the brain and the heart, men and women, Satan and his lawyer… and white people and cultural appropriation. But as they put the plot in motion Hayward and Hadid manage to neatly pull these themes together. While some play on well-worn tropes about men, women and dating, others add a fresh voice sending up the current state of gender politics and adding a healthy dose of irony and a hint of exasperation to round out the show.

It’s a good first effort, the sketches are well-paced and the gags reliable. But there is still a little bit of work to be done on refining the content and timing, with jokes sometimes being a bit too obvious or sketches not quite fitting in with the rest of the show. And what about our star-crossed comedy lovers Hayward and Hadid? Hayward’s characters and delivery are very strong, while Hadid goes for a more understated delivery – something that could perhaps lend itself well to more Straight Man / Funny Man sketches in future.

While ‘This is an Excuse’ has come to the end of its run at the Melbourne Comedy Festival, be sure to keep an eye out for this duo in future. Hell, why not check them out at The Improv Conspiracy as members of the improv cast – no excuses.